Legacy of Dracula's Curse
by LadyPharaoh
Summary: It's the year 1476, Wallachia. Lord Dracula has risen from his tomb to spread a foul curse over all of Europe. Many have fought him, but none returned and the sky and the hearts of the people were darkened by his spell. The Church now puts their last hope on a single man in exile, a young Vampire Hunter named Trevor Belmont, to oppose Dracula once and for all.
1. Prelude

~ 0-1: _Prelude_

The night was a time that everyone feared. Shadows flickered between the trees as the fog crept over the frozen ground like an army of ants. A veil soon covered the countryside.  
People would often say, they glimpsed at a pair of glowing eyes between the trees or in a dark corner. Nothing was quite as it used to be anymore. And with the days becoming shorter, no one was save anymore from what lurked in the shadows.

It was the year of Christ in 1476 for those who survived those years of peril. Fall came and the harvest was, yet again, terrible. War had torn the Kingdom of Wallachia apart. The rulers murdered each other for the throne while everyone around them was suffering in the fields which bore no fruit. With the water poisoned and the ground as dead as it could be, it all to became foul. People and children disappeared alike and the hunger drove them mad, robbery was one of the less brutal methods of getting by. The church was trying its best to soothe the suffering of the poor, but even they feared the mysterious powers from beyond the forests.  
No one could comprehend what it was. The ones that dared to venture further were never to be seen again. A curse had befallen this country like an illness, a disease that threatened to spread all over if it wasn't to stopped. Bravery wasn't the most common trait found in people's hearts anymore. Yet, when it was shining from a single person alone, it was a warm light for many poor souls who have cowered in the gloom. In the end, they could only pray to not get dragged away by whatever demons lured from outside.

What motivated those rare few to step in when everyone else hid away?  
For each of them, it was a different experience and sometimes, the fog blurred the reasons.

Father Cypher couldn't really say either. When the church sent the priest to travel through the countryside, he was sure that it was his compassion for the poor which had him get through all these trials.

But now, sitting in this inn between all those men and women, tending their wounds for hours and praying with them, he wondered whether God granted him enough strength to carry the hopes of all these villagers. His travels lead him far, going from town to town to approach the source of devilry. It was accurately named "Devil's Castle" by the common townsfolk. It would be a lie if he said that he hadn't noticed strange occurrences himself and those were unsettling. Material to haunt one's thoughts and dreams, but nothing more than shadows and a glimpse came across.  
His tired eyes scanned the room. Few remained in the room, too scared to leave the light of the candle. Father Cypher clutched his silver rosary as he folded his hands in prayer and closed his eyes firmly.

Another few words in thoughts to God, thanking him for having lead him safely to this village which welcomed him with open arms. Mostly, that was. Naturally, there were enough people wary of anybody foreign and even of their own, but the priest has gotten used to those, too. Just offering to heal the injured ones was enough most of the time. They told him of his worries and woes and each of their tales was like a weight tied to his shoulders. He pitied them. He wished to take those fears away with a swipe of his hand. All he could do was use a few drops of holy water, draw crosses with his index finger on their foreheads and give advice.

 _Please God, I wish to be strong enough to protect those in need. Hold them between your hands and shield them from evil for I am only one and the needy are so many._

Father Cypher let out a rattling sigh and his fingers relaxed a bit when his sight wasn't shielded by his own eyelids anymore. The warm light calmed his restless soul. The plump inn lady, Arianne, approached him with a clay mug, pity shimmering in her dark eyes.

"Another mug of tea for you, father?", she asked and placed the mug on the table, one hand on his shoulder. The priest looked up at her, he hesitated for a moment, the steam and smell coming from the mug was tempting.

"I'm afraid that I have barely any coins left with me, milady. I won't be able to pay", he explained calmly and shoved the mug away with his fingertips.

The lady waved him off with a weak smile. "Don't worry about it. You have assisted us all with your kindness. I might as well give you another one." After all, Father Cypher was to leave the next morning, he would need all the help he could get, too. The playful wink brought a soft blush to his cheeks and he coughed to himself before he reached for the cup to hold it between his hands. The warmth sipping through his skin was pleasant and the herbal smell put rest to his troubled mind. A muttered "thank you" dropped from his lips and the smile on the lady's face only grew wider at that. She merely nodded at that reaction and went back to grab a cloth and clean the wooden tables while the priest sipped at his drink. The warm liquid poured down his throat and had him relax all over. Most villagers have fallen asleep on their chairs by now while others played cards against one another. The soft sound of snoozing filled the silence and Father Cypher found himself enjoying this peaceful moment, he allowed himself to smile and took in the warming atmosphere of a small building in the middle of the cursed land. His thoughts wandered off as he leaned back, holding the mug close to his chest.

When was the last time that the priest could feel peace in his chest ever since he travelled? In all honesty, he couldn't remember and in a way, he figured that there was always something that had him nervous. It had almost been an eternity since he had felt somewhat cozy somewhere. There was something akin to homesickness, his brothers far away behind thick walls hile he had wandered off. Further and further away from God and towards the devil's fortress in hopes that His light would guide him to safety.

The howling wolves in the distance pulled him out of his track of thoughts and his head jolted up, but there was no stirring in the inn. Father Cypher took another sip from the tea to calm his nerves. Animals, of course, there was quite a couple that were still awake at night. Nothing to be worried about. An extra sip, just to be sure that it worked. Perhaps going to bed should have been an option, he obviously needed to have a rest after all this walking. With a sigh, he placed the cup down, he had almost emptied it all, the rest of it too bitter for his tongue.  
Just as Father Cypher got on his feet and to thank the kind lady for her service when suddenly another sound had his body freeze on the spot. It was a loud shriek, the priest immediately recognized it as a crying child. Soon enough, the sound was muffled and completely died away. All the warmth that the tea and the atmosphere had allowed to enter his body had just as quickly fled his limbs.

Arianne glanced up in fright, her hands gripped the cloth tighter as if she was about to strike someone with it. "Is this… What I think it is…?", she asked in such a low tone that the priest could barely hear her say it. The few others who had played cards stopped in their tracks, their gazes fixed on the dirty window, but the outside was pitch black. No one could tell anything apart from this distance. Seeing as no person was willing to move from their spots, Father Cypher moved to grab his equipment which he had kept by the bar. The leather bag filled with few supplies, some small weapons and two books, one of them being the Bible. He swung the bag over his shoulder and took hold of his staff. The inn lady watched him with shock and shook herself before she approached him. Her steps quiet as if she was afraid to wake up those who were fortunate enough to be asleep. "N-No, you mustn't go out now!", she whispered to him heatedly and looked around herself and Father Cypher felt like he was being watched, too. "Who knows what the demons might do to you!"

The priest raised his eyebrows in confusion and tilted his head. "Demons? Have you actually spotted them?" As much as he would have loved to pretend that these tales were just the imagination of the regular townsfolk, Father Cypher couldn't deny that more than animals roamed the empty countryside at night.

The lady pressed her lips together, she avoided his gaze and shifted in place. Her hands fiddled with her apron to calm herself. "A few weeks ago, there was a series of children that went missing…" It was hard for her to admit that these events actually happened. In fact, it wasn't a strange coincidence, the priest had heard of this before, sadly. "We haven't found them since. People think that they were taken to the forests, but no one went deep enough to find any clue. They are either in the darkest parts or taken somewhere else entirely…" A cold shiver ran down his spine, his frame tensed as he took a deep breath and his fingers held unto the staff tighter. However, the expression on his face had Arianne pale even further and she took him by both his shoulders. "Good father, please stay with us here until the morning! It's not safe you to go out!"  
Father Cypher closed his eyes for a moment. He knew that she meant well and wanted him to be save, but the high-pitched sound from before still rang in his ears and had him left in terror.

With his free hand, he took one of hers and returned the glance with determination. "Do not worry for me, we are all under the protection of God, He will lead me back." His voice didn't even waver, he truly believed in his words. If the Lord would take him out of this world, it was for a reason. But until then, he would serve and care for the poor and broken. "These children are the most innocent of us and they are our future. Without them, we are doomed ourselves."

Arianne watched him with sorrow, but she remained silent and slowly edged back and took his hand between both her own. "You speak of wisdom, Father. But, do not get lost and if you can make it, with or without one child, not only I will feel relief to see you again." There was affection in her gaze, so much so that the priest felt somewhat embarrassed and a blush rose on his cheeks. If the situation wasn't as heavy as this, the woman would have smiled at him for this reaction. Men of God, always trying to be as far away from the opposite sex as possible, it was almost adorable.

"I am thankful that I have met you, milady." The priest bowed before her and squeezed her hand back before he turned to get his oil lamp. He threw one last glance to the lady and the rest of the villagers who were asleep or peeking up at him in both respect and fright. To leave this homely inn brought sadness to his heart. He took another deep breath and grabbed the cold doorknob, he needed another moment before he could conjure enough courage to step outside into the dark.

No one was out.

Most of the lights were turned off, only a few windows allowed the candle light to find their way out. Father Cypher turned to face the forests, their trees luring like shadows on the dark blue of the horizon. The moon hung between the clouds, only a light shimmer could be made out in the sky. When the priest passed one of the dead trees, his eyes hung with the crows sitting between the branches. Perhaps it was his fears or some form of paranoia, it was as if the animals were watching his every step. Though, Father Cypher didn't stop in his tracks and with his hood pulled up, he made his way out of the village. The darkness of the night surrounded him more and more. The cone of light around him was like a barrier from the demons, so it seemed, in full sight for everyone who looked in his direction. The silence was both calming and unnerving. He could hear everything stir around him, but his eyes spotted nothing coming closer.

Perhaps it was good. His body was tense, always ready to use his staff against any fiend that would jump in front of his feet. But they carried him to the edge of the forests, the gloom greeting him and the trees looming over him. That was the first time that Father Cypher had stopped. The cold breeze stroked his face as if determined to take off his hood to reveal the blond hair. It was kept in a ponytail, safely tugged away.

The Lord of Darkness was waiting for him and other challenges, that much was certain. He showed it to everyone who dared to come closer to his circle, it should scare away the weak and amuse him with the tries of those who wished to oppose him. The priest pressed his lips together and squared his shoulders again. Father Cypher was ready. Under the hand of God, he would strive forward and fight as much as he could. It would lead him to victory and for peace in this land which needed to be freed so much.

If it wasn't through him, his work should, at least, leave behind a trail for others to follow.

God's will was his way and Father Cypher would accept it no matter where it would take him.

~ 0-2

This was it. This was the last straw.

It was a miracle to see his father back with him, to see him of sound mind again. He had hoped that he came back to his senses and wished to embrace life again like he did before.

The young man had been foolish to believe in this. His father hadn't changed in this time. So much hatred had built up in his heart and poisoned him that he was unable to be cured. Humanity had to suffer for what it did to his wife. He himself felt terrible pain sting in his chest whenever he thought of his mother and her sweet laugh. Her presence was somehow around in this demonic castle.

Nothing was more frightening than the acts one would do out of love.

As twisted as it was now, his father had loved this woman without any hesitation. The result of those feelings being shattered lead him to this brutal mess of a plan.

Lord Dracula, as he would call himself, the Lord of Darkness, had embraced the powers Hell once again to rain revenge on humanity.

The aristocrat looked up and watched the clouds of the night float by. He wasn't going to be bound by his father anymore. His ways would oppose his father's, this was not what his mother wished for the world to become. She loved it in every way, was kind to everyone around her and even in her last moments when she was burned by those exact humans. There were no ill words dropping from her lips.

This night, he was planning to escape this Hell. Find himself a place to hide away and gather the strongest to form a rebellion against his father. He clenched his fists in growing anger.

Adrian had died a long time ago, he pondered in his thoughts bitterly. He had died along with you when you were first blinded by your hatred. This name now only a shell of his former self, it held no meaning to him anymore.  
With that, he reached for a sword to tug it away on his belt, put on his cloak and hid daggers in it. The least Adrian would take with him, the less suspicion he would throw on himself when one of his father's minions was to find his chamber without him. However, he still needed to make sure that no one was to see him once he took his leave. Thus, he merely blew out his candle and let it rest on the table. His senses were enough to lead him through the corridors, though they were mostly lit by the patrolling demons anyway. Flying out of the window was out of the question, the bat would be seen. With careful steps, Adrian approached the heavy door, leaning in to listen in if someone was near.

Nothing. It was utterly silent.  
Slowly but surely, Adrian opened the door to peek out and glance up and down the corridor. No one could be seen, not even one lamp from one of the guards. This could be it, he could make his escape. Without any hesitation, Adrian moved out of his chamber and gently closed the door behind him before he shuffled down the corridor.

Having made his way to the next door was almost too easy. He feared to open it in front of him and Adrian looked behind himself, the faint light of a lamp was seen at the other side. Panic burst from his chest, though none of it was seen in his expression. So he immediately reached for the doorknob, but his hand grabbed the air as the door swung open before him and he backed off in shock.

Before him stood a woman, her hands on her curvy hips and her light red eyes focused on him and an amused smile curled on her pouty lips. "Adrian! I was actually looking for you, dear!" Her voice was sickly sweet, though obviously faked as she entertained herself at the sight of him shifting on the spot nervously. She was not getting even the least bit intimidated by the glare that he directed towards her.

"I don't have time for any of your plans, Carmilla", Adrian growled back in irritation and tried to walk past her, though she blocked his way off with a wide grin. It showed off her fangs peeking over her lower lip. "Let me pass, we can discuss whatever you have to tell me later." As quickly as he was able to leave, the better and he couldn't waste any time playing around with her.

Carmilla leaned in with her grin never fading away, looking him over with a dry laugh. "Come now, you don't have to be in a hurry! Besides, it was Lord Dracula that had sent me to get you, he wanted to talk to his dearest son." Adrian paled in an instant at those words. More so than he usually was anyway. This wasn't a good sign and his heart sank into his stomach. There was a tight knot in his throat, he was unable to answer and the demon noticed his fright right away in joy. Her cold hand took hold of his arm and she leaned in, a threatening glint in her eyes. "You know just as much as I do that the Lord isn't exactly fond of waiting."

No, not at all. Since his mother had passed away, his father had been cold towards him, that being, colder than usual. Carmilla wasn't good news either, if he was to leave now, she would run to her master in less than a heartbeat. Not that she had any to begin with as a creature of the night.

"Very well." That was all that Adrian could press out, trying to sound as calm as he could despite the weight on his chest making it difficult for him to breathe. Carmilla seemed content with his surrender and finally made way for him to pass her, she wouldn't want to turn his back on him. This woman was too clever for her own good and cursed under his breath as he walked past. His feet carried him on their own up the long stairs and towards the throne room.

Adrian knew that he would never get used to the sight of his father sitting in that throne. Surrounded by his demonic minions while his shining eyes stared at the emptiness right in front of him. Now, more than ever, was it clear that he had casted God from his life and willingly became a creature of Hell.

As soon as the gates fell shut behind them, Carmilla joined her master's side in joy. He didn't her a glance and focused instead on his son before him.  
"My son", he began in a cool tone, no change in his expressionless face, "I haven't seen you in a while. Have you been avoiding me?" His gaze was piercing right through him. His eyes looking him over like he let them crawl through his sockets into his mind. Adrian shivered lightly at the idea, instinctively wanting to hide away whatever thought came up.

"N-No, father, I merely thought you… Didn't need me." Still no change on his face was visible, Dracula stared him down mercilessly and Adrian had trouble keeping his eyes up to meet his. "You usually do f-fine on your own, I believe."

The only other reaction that he received was the squint of his eyes, clearly not convinced. Adrian was unable to defend himself any further and finally turned his gaze away in childish fright like he was about to be scolded. Instead, Dracula snipped with his fingers and leaned his head to the left without ever letting Adrian out of his sight. "Bring in the prisoner."

From the left side of the chamber, two werewolves shuffled in with a man dragged between them. His head hung low, blood dropped from his face and torso, a red bandana covering the brown hair. His ripped clothes were just as stained as his skin. Wounds were littered over his entire frame and Adrian wouldn't have been surprised if this man had died. Though his stertorous breath was a sign that he was somehow holding on to life for no sensible reason. The copper smell of his blood reached his nose. It clouded and spun his mind as his mouth watered. His tongue stroke his fangs as if making sure they were sharp enough to rip his throat open and feast on his blood sputtering from the open wound sporadically.

Adrian shook his head angrily at that, chasing away the thoughts. This castle had a terrifying influence on him and his demonic blood wasn't of any help. Needless to say, the werewolves were just as tempted to play around with this victim between them before. They would tear his limbs apart to feast on his warm flesh. He tore his eyes away from the prisoner which was much harder than he wished to admit. "What… Is the meaning of this, father?" His voice sounded far more strained than he wanted to show. For the first time, Dracula offered him another expression; a cold smirk stretching over his thin lips. Usually, his father didn't care for any humans and usually had them killed, they were of no worth to him. Just having one presented in front of them wasn't a good sign and Dracula was more than amused to show him this man.

"This foolish intruder managed to conquer our main clock tower. Quite impressive for a mere human being, I have to admit." As much as he sounded like he was praising the injured prisoner, it was a joke. He wasn't worth a single glance of his, only his open hand was directed towards him as if he was going to offer him as a meal. "He should be rewarded, don't you think?" Adrian knew that there was no point in answering. There was nothing kind within his father and the meaning behind his words was different than he made it sound. His smirk never faded from his lips and neither did his gesture while he spoke. "I want to keep this man as a guard for the clock tower, but you'll have to turn him for me."

"What?! You can't be serious! You can't expect me to…" Adrian snapped his gaze between them, his shock and disbelief ever so clear on his face. Neither startled his father.

"I can see the glint in your eyes, Adrian. You crave blood, don't you?" His voice lowered, almost resembling a growl. It was tempting, yes, the young man couldn't deny that. Adrian couldn't remember the last time he had fed from any living creature. He resented his own origin and refused to steal life from others to continue his own. Though, as he was confronted with the direct smell and sight of it, his animalistic desires were daring to get the better of him. "And if you are unwilling to turn him into a demon yourself, I will have to take matters into my own hands." There was no way that his father was bluffing. He was finding too much enjoyment in torturing the innocent. Dracula would do far worse than Adrian would ever allow himself to perform.

Was he giving up? Adrian couldn't tell. It was a fine line between surrendering and possibly giving this man a chance to avoid the most painful death. Either this act would have been merciful or needlessly cruel by cursing him for the rest of his life, as much as he was allowed to be alive, that was. There wasn't much time to ponder about the ethnical decision of life and death or Heaven and Hell. Adrian would need to get to it soon, otherwise he would be sent away before he could even answer.

Therefore, the son of Dracula turned to step towards the trio. Just hearing his shoes clack on the marble ground seemed to grip the prisoner's attention. He held enough strength to lift his head and look at the one who was supposed to turn him into a creature of the night. The sharp, grey eyes shone with such determination and will, it was almost startling to see this much of a rebellious nature in his wounded face. His lower lip had burst, one long cut was craved into his flesh from one cheek to the other and over his nose horizontally. The blood leaking downwards stained his face and a lot of the liquid tangled in the short, black beard. The man's body shook with the restraint, his arms tensing up to get ready to get up on his legs and escape from what was about to happen. As much as he was putting up a resistance against him in his mind, his body was clearly drained from being thrown into the cells. Most likely being tortured and beaten up by the monster that would need to take care of him.

Despite all, Adrian allowed pity to show. The prisoner had tried his best to reach this place for whatever reason and all his hopes were in vain now. The young man had to close his eyes, the smell of blood now fully pushed away everything else. His senses were entirely dulled and his needs roared even louder, his lungs filled with the smell alone. Without giving another comment, he went on his knees, the man following him with his gaze and hissed in disgust when he drew near. Adrian would have bitten his own thumb only to get his blood into his system, but he feared that none of his current wounds would serve the desired effect.  
Instead, he let his long fangs show. One last bit of his humanity dared to bubble up on the surface as he managed to whisper to him shakily: "Please, forgive me."

It happened in a matter of moments. His last thoughts were pushed away by his hunger as one hand took hold of the man's head to forcefully lean it to the side to reveal his neck. His eyes immediately spotted his veins, how they pumped blood through his body to keep him alive. He plunged his fangs right into his flesh, piercing it without mercy, creating deep holes and his blood soon filled his mouth. Adrian barely even registered the strained cry coming from the other, the sound muffled in his ears as his head spun from the overwhelming taste on his tongue. His victim shifted back and forth in poor attempts to get away while his blood was forced to spurt out. Yet, his fangs were driven in too deep that no one could have dragged him away. It was an elixir that couldn't be matched by anything else, his body grew stronger just by drinking one sip from him already. A tingling sensation running along his skin while his veins were filled with life once again. Though if he was to let himself go like this, he would have killed this man in less than a minute. His sight became hazy with need and the taste was addicting. It was difficult to pry himself off of him while his frame craved for more and more, his hands trembling when they released the other. The bitten man slumped right after, the remaining energy from before had vanished. His head hung low between his shoulders and there was no more twitch coming from him. Once more, his rattled breath and groans were the only sign that he was surviving; at least, for now.

This wasn't refreshing enough, Adrian knew that he would have needed to drain him so far until the man was dead. The realization of this fact alone brought him back to his senses while the warm blood was around his quivering lips, dripping from the corners of his mouth down to his chin. His tongue tentatively licked off his own lips to savor the copper liquid before he lifted one hand to have one fang bite down on his thumb.  
The wound around the victim's neck looked vicious: the skin around the two holes darkened, they would leave quite some mark. His thumb was shaking even more when he moved to press it gravely against the open wound on his neck. Then he smeared his blood over it to make sure it's covered. Adrian didn't know how he was able to get back up on his legs again despite his knees about to give in. When the werewolves let go off the prisoner, he fell to the marble floor like a sack and for a moment, nothing happened.

"Well done, my son. You still have it in you", declared Dracula in a booming voice and clapped heartlessly. It was Adrian this time who didn't look back at his father now. His face paled at the sight of his victim convulsing in front of him and letting out whimpers and sounds as if he was being strangled by an unseen force. "You have never bound a human to a curse before, have you? It's absolutely… Delightful to see how you finally got to do this."

With terror in his amber eyes, Adrian was finally able to turn himself away from the stranger. The man began shaking and stretching his limbs as if he wished to crawl away. "No! I am… I am not like you!", he spat back desperately, though his father was only amused by this reaction.

"I'm afraid that you've already proven yourself to be like me. Can't you feel the blood on your lips and tongue? You are a beast whether you can accept it or not."  
His stomach twisted with deep disgust, the once tempting taste of blood was now causing him nausea and it was burning down his throat. Adrian swayed on his legs, about to tumble over his feet and his mix of emotions was turning him both confused and guilty. Instead of bombarding his father with insults and confidence, he turned on his heels and escaped the Throne Room without Dracula ordering anybody to follow him. With his hand lifted, he stopped Carmilla who had started to haste down the narrow steps.

After all, Adrian had never directly opposed him. The boy wasn't strong enough to do so anyway. He even obeyed him despite his inner fight and had almost killed this prisoner who was taken away to the catacombs. As stubborn as the boy was, he had always been a scared, shy child no matter how old he had grown.

"Don't waste your time with my son. He'll be back." Dracula waved him off. Carmilla turned to bow to him, a content smile on her lips. Anything he would want of her was her command. "Go down to the cells and experiment on the fool. We don't need a fully conscious creature of the night, but a vicious demon for our brainless armies. Do as you see fit with your… New pet."

When she allowed to look up at him again, a wide smirk covered her lips and her fangs showed. "Very well, Master. I won't disappoint you."

With that, Carmilla left the room and most demons made their way back to their former positions in the castle. Dracula remained in his throne and picked up his glass. The red liquid resembled wine, but he had lost his sense of taste centuries ago.

Only his dark chuckle filled the silence of the chamber, it increased, louder and louder until his voice resounded down the hall, in the entire castle and the candle flames shook.

~ 0-3

How long has it been since the young hunter had seen this path?

It was odd being here, so many years had passed and yet, he recognized a few marks here and there while he walked with the two monks that had picked him up. The sun had already set when the first town had appeared on the horizon after a whole day trip. He could see how the two men were relaxing a bit at the sight.  
Only one dared to look back at him with caution. "Once we arrive, we will leave you there, young Belmont." There was no threat or fear when he spoke, however, he did sound desperate if not disgusted to even look at him. Indeed, they had been desperate to find him in the first place. So he wasn't exactly surprised to receive no glances from them as they lead him back towards Wallachia.  
With a frown, the hunter pulled his cloak tighter around him and merely nodded at his words. When they had found him, he didn't think that they would accompany him further than necessary. They were both frightful men and irritated of his existence.

Trevor Belmont.  
Last surviving member of his clan which had been chased away from Wallachia for their powers. Their blood was blessed, but people were scared of what they were capable of.  
Not that there were many of them to begin with. His mother only had him and she had no siblings that shared the ability to wield their holy weapon, the Vampire Killer, forged by their ancestor to smite evil.

Even from banishment, the hunter noticed the changes that had been happening in the countryside. The Church and the Royal members of Wallachia tried their best to get rid of the curse that had befallen them. But they had failed horribly and thus, Trevor was their last chance for salvation.  
Not that this prevented them from treating him like an animal. There was no respect and Trevor couldn't care less.

In a way, the only factor that had him accept their plea was what his mother had told him when he was young. That people were afraid, they didn't hate them and that there would be a day when he could return home. There were so many others out there that were good at heart and that those deserve to be protected.

 _Always remain courageous_ , she would say with a warm smile. _It is what will get you through the darkest nights._

However, Trevor imagined his return to his home country somewhat different. Over the years, he figured that he probably wouldn't be able to predict how he was going to win back their trust towards his family name. It was like a marking to warn everyone around him. Yet, Trevor wasn't willing to change it up for he knew that there was nothing evil to them.  
God has chosen them to be His warriors. Trevor chose to accept this destiny without any second thought.

As the monks promised, when they reached the first houses of the town, they stopped in their tracks. The guards by the gate examined the trio, but they figured that they were of no harm and kept patrolling the town's wall. Just from the looks of it, the demons hadn't arrived in this town, yet, the walls relatively stable looking.

"May God watch over you."

That was the only good praise Trevor received during their trip. The hunter walked ahead of them before he turned and glanced the servants of God over. He could feel a faint smile on his lips.

"Let us hope so, otherwise you will have to find someone else mad enough to face the Devil." There was almost something mocking in his words, but the other two glanced at him and shifted in place. They knew very well that this was quite the truth.

Without any further conversation, Trevor thanked them for having lead him to Wallachia nonetheless and wished them to return safely to their other brothers. Despite everything, this was the longest time he has had constant company as sad as it sounded. Those men were terrified and counted on him, they were at least kind enough to accompany him back. Though they might have only wanted to make sure that he actually arrived in Wallachia. His honesty in his words seemed to have surprised the monks, they couldn't reply for a moment. The monks looked at one another before they told the hunter that it was nothing and wished him good luck once more.

It could always be worse, Trevor pondered and made his way into the town. Since it was already at night, there were barely any people out.

The farmers were usually in bed around that time while one or two drunks would hang over the wooden fences while others wobbled their way back home. Guards even patrolled in the streets, their lamps usually a warning for anybody who was close to performing a criminal act. None of them minded Trevor and he doubted that they even noticed him. He wasn't causing any trouble. Some others were by the bars, either singing or glancing in the wide cleavages of the fancy women in their yellow dresses.

Trevor needed a place to rest, so the bars were out of the question, alcohol wasn't what he craved for at the moment. The situation wasn't grave enough for him to start drinking and hammer his brain out. The inns wouldn't be much quieter, but with the little money he had made outside of Wallachia. He could have gotten himself a bed for the night, at least.  
As expected, when he came close to the inn, he could hear singing and music coming from the inside. The building was well light while some poor saps were sitting by the stairs and drinking from their mugs. They looked up at Trevor as he passed, but wouldn't comment on him. What they had in their mugs was apparently far more interesting than the stranger passing by.

The same welcome wasn't granted him when the two doors of the inn swung open. Anybody sitting by the tables near the door turned around to glance at him in high curiosity and paranoia. Trevor wasn't going to be scared off by that. As alienated as he felt, he moved through the building to get to the innkeeper by the bar. The hunter could feel the glances of the other townspeople on him as he passed by. It got a bit quieter and he heard mumbles all around while their glared at him. Even the old innkeeper squinted his eyes at him once he sat by the stool.

"Good evening, stranger", he grumbled through his fuzzy grey beard. Despite all the distrust, the owner didn't turn away from him. Perhaps hoping that he was bringing in money for his business. "What do you need?", he scoffed and polished the bar with a dirty cloth.

Trevor followed him with his eyes for a second before he dared to raise his voice, waiting if the elderly man was going to show him his cold shoulder. "Any spare room for me? A drink maybe? I have had a long journey today." He did have lunch with the monks on their way already and Trevor didn't try to be greedy. He was used to not getting a lot to eat despite his stomach protesting at the smell of heavy vegetable soup coming from the massive iron pot behind the bar.

The owner pursed his lips at the answer and gave a light shrug as a costumer shoved over an empty mug. He used the same old cloth to clean out the pottery. "And who are you? Haven't seen someone like you around and travelers are… Rare these days." Just the fact that a stranger had been able to get through by himself was somewhat suspicious. "Can't make it to the next place without being ripped apart by wild animals or crazed robbers."

Trevor shoved his cloak behind his shoulders like a cape, squared them as he lifted his head a bit in defiance. There was nothing special about the brown cloth tunic. There was a little assortment of daggers on his belt and some other leather bags hanging there along with the Vampire Killer tightly buckled to them. "The name's Trevor Belmont."  
As soon as his name dropped from his lips, the innkeeper stopped every single movement and stared at him in disbelief. It was now pure confusion, not even a sign of threat showing anymore.

"Belmont? I have heard of them. Demon hunters, am I right?" The man sounded curious which was somewhat refreshing. The usual reaction was merely negative so far and those who sat close by who heard these words weren't pleased either. Trevor noticed more mumbling, but he chose to ignore it. The old man leaned in instead, eying his rough face. "That's not a good sign… The King and the Church must be getting desperate to search for a member of a clan that might not even exist." At least, that didn't sound like an insult towards him.

"The King is still alive? Which one? I would have expected that the Lord of Darkness took over them." Not that Trevor knew much about that before, but those years in exile didn't help his knowledge a lot either.

The innkeeper moved to get him a drink while he spoke. "Well, yes. The royal family is currently not in their main castle, they say, chased away by the demons that took hold of it. However, no one has seen the King, so everybody assumes that he's hiding somewhere." Since the harvest in itself was terrible for years, he could only offer his costumers watered down alcohol like everyone else. The people didn't seem to mind as long as their minds got clouded. He shoved one mug of beer towards him, not asking for a single coin, Trevor noticed, but he wasn't going to point that out. "Laiotă Basarab, he's the official ruler for now. Until they find his decapitated head, that is… Like Vlad, the dark Lord, did with his own brother Radu. Though he had it coming, this cock sucking whore of a Muslim…", he added with a frown and continued with cleaning another empty bowl. Trevor had to admit that he had no idea what was going on in the Royal family. Apparently there were two sides fighting for the throne for they had a shared ancestor.

His interest wasn't exactly the biggest either, but it was somewhat amusing to listen to the old man ramble. The costumers around them quieted their mumbling and continued to be as merry as before. So, Trevor took a sip from his beer in slight content. This was none of his business. His silence reminded the innkeeper that he had gotten off the actual topic and drew near again. "And they found you to track down and get rid of the demonic child of Hell? By yourself?"

Trevor couldn't keep from letting a weak smile on his lips. This man was a quirky fellow, but he appreciated his drive. "Seems like it. Unless you want to join me?"

At that, the innkeeper waved him off with his cloth and laughed brightly while the tips of his moustache bounced up and down. "You are far too relaxed about this, boy, joking like that!" Not that he was scolding him, he even seemed to be amused by it. Perhaps they were both somewhat insane, Trevor thought, for trying to find something amusing in times of terror and need. With a hum, the old man moved to grab a bowl and edge to the iron pot to fill it with soup, shoved it over to the hunter and showed him a toothless smile. Trevor was baffled by this gesture, lifted his hands and was about to tell him that it wouldn't be necessary. The other placed down an iron spoon and a pitiful, hard loaf of bread in front of him. "This one's on me. You're all right, boy. But I'm still getting my money for the bed, got it?" The young man shifted in his seat, he wanted to raise his voice to tell him otherwise. Though his stomach answered for him when the smell rose to his nose and he slumped on his stool in slight embarrassment. "The common folk would talk badly of your name usually, but I can't hate someone I don't know. Besides, since you are going to save the world, it would be foolish to cast you away. Now eat up! I have other people to serve!"

The old man didn't even wait for an answer. Trevor watched him walk off to the other side of the bar, taking the empty mugs and refilling them at the request of the group that was playing cards. With a resigned sigh, the hunter turned to the stew which was, honestly, not of the best color. His stomach was far too hungry to mind and he began to eat by breaking the bread and steered it in the soup to let it soak up the liquid and become softer. Finally, he could let his mind ponder about what or where he would be going after this evening while it was getting more and more quiet in the inn. Most costumers were heading back for their houses, they did need some rest after all and only few remained.

It was when one of those few townspeople opened the window to get some fresh air and leaned half of his body out, clearly somewhat intoxicated. The innkeeper was probably not fond of people puking in his building. This costumer only hung there for a mere minute before he was pulled out with a scream and everybody jumped in their seats in shock. The hunter was already on his feet, he had dropped the spoon in the half-finished stew and grabbed for his Vampire Killer. A furred beast jumped through the window instead, howling. The rest screamed along in terror. Some of them were paralyzed while others hid under the table in fright, including the innkeeper who cowered behind the bar.

Without hesitation, Trevor threw a dagger in its direction to drag its attention to him before it could get any craving for the other humans. The werewolf quickly dodged the blade, it only cut its arm and a scratch was left behind. However, that was enough to provoke the monster and it charged at him with all its fours. Its claws dug into the wooden floor, ripping out the material, pieces and shavings spreading everywhere as its massive body threw over tables and chairs. The hunter remained on his spot until he could practically smell its foul breath and dodged away. His whip cracked against its back and the beast howled in anger and pain. Fury covered its eyes and it grabbed unto one of the tables and swung it towards Trevor who jumped back, dodged once again as it flew his way. The piece of furniture crashed against the wall and broke apart. The ones near screamed in terror again and fled via the open window while the others feared to be spotted by the beast if they tried to run. Trevor cursed under his breath, he would need to get this over with quick before the werewolf would be aware of the more helpless victims around them. Only an aggressive strategy would work.

Trevor quickly whipped the beast once more and had his whip wrap around the muscly arms of the creature. He tugged with both hands to force it down to the ground, but the wolf was stubborn and pulled against it despite the weapon burning its skin. Those who didn't shield their eyes were watching in a mix of awe and disbelief. No human should have been able to stand if they were being pulled by a monster twice their size, but Trevor was only shuffling his feet. Though it was clearly difficult for him to remain on the spot, his arms trembling under the strength of it all. The hunter focused grinded his teeth and focused his own strength, tugging one time with all his might and it forced the werewolf to stagger forward. Before the monster could rip its mouth open fully to clench the hunter's head between its teeth with which he could easily crush him, Trevor smacked his boot across its face and caused the werewolf to stagger back. Another dagger flew from his hand, aimed at its chest and it found its mark.

The monster howled out in suffering and tried to back off as black blood spurted from it chest and mouth. Despite the sight, Trevor kept it in place with his whip like a dog on a leash. The hunter forced it to fall to the side, then finally released it from his hold and swung the Vampire Killer with purpose. The heavy tip cracked through the air as it snapped at the monster's neck with force. The impact was enough to rip its head right off and it rolled away a few steps, another immediate pool of blood spreading. Both the head and body changed color, turning grey, and crumbled to ashes while only the blood remained like a dark stain and his dagger buried in the pile.

It was becoming terrifyingly silent. None of the other townspeople dared to take a deep breath, only the wood creaked. When the hunter lifted his gaze to meet the others, he noticed how they hadn't crawled out of their hideouts. There was still something frightful and hatred in their eyes.

"You've brought the Curse into our town, filthy Belmont!", hissed one of them and slowly got back on his feet. It was as if these words brought energy to their bones and the others joined him.

One of the group had pulled out the other dagger from the wall and pointed it towards him. "How dare you show your face in Wallachia again?! Take yourself and your monsters out of this town and crawl back to your Lord!"  
Trevor frowned at this threat, he was sure that he could have easily taken care of this man by himself and the rest of them, too. But it would have been pointless to argue or even fight with them, he wasn't going to prove his point either way. Trevor was unaccepted, a man of exile.

His eyes looked for the innkeeper, the old man peeked from the behind the bar, he was helpless and afraid. However, the hunter couldn't say anymore if it was because of the monster or himself. Trevor allowed some sorrow to show on his hardened features towards him before he tugged the Holy Whip away. With his back turned to the other townspeople, he went for the door.

"Take care."

That was all that Trevor said while he pulled his hood over his head to shield him from the cold and the eyes of the other townspeople as he stepped outside. Guards had heard of the mess and ran passed him inside the inn, but Trevor had interest in talking to them what happened. The hunter wouldn't talk to anybody anymore, realizing that he had no place here and not anywhere else.

Wallachia wasn't his home, it merely accepted him for the time being.

Trevor couldn't lie. He didn't except much else, but he was still somewhat saddened. It was all so familiar and yet, he was a wandering stranger. When the hunter reached for the gates, he glanced behind himself one last time before he made his way to the countryside.  
There was only one other place Trevor could think of to return and as a warrior of God, he was convinced that He would show him the way.

 _Always remain courageous, Trevor. It is what will get you through the darkest nights._

The hunter closed his eyes and clutched his hand around his necklaces. One with the cross and the other a red gem, both objects he received from his mother.

In thoughts with his past, he listened to the quiet surroundings while his feet followed the path in front of him.

* * *

 _Hey there! I hope that you enjoyed reading! :) I have a bit more in stock, but I'll need to do some editing before posting it on here!_

 _See you next time!_


	2. Beginning

DarkeningShadow77: _Thank you so much for your kind words! They have made my day when I read it ;w; I just hope that you'll be able to enjoy the rest just as much!_

 _Same counts for everyone else reading, of course! :)_

* * *

~ 1-1: _Beginning_

During his march through the countryside, Trevor hadn't come across any other village or town. It was all deserted with one creature here and there, such as giant rats and dogs. He successfully chased them away without any trouble. The further he had left the town, the less he could see and soon enough, he decided to turn on the oil lamp which he carried. Wasting any of the oil wasn't recommended just in case more people were going to be aggressive. Refills weren't expected anytime soon.

At the same time, not being able to find another village meant that he would need to rest outside. Luckily, he came across a lonely hut by the road. Most of it was destroyed, only two walls were fully intact while half of the roof was gone. Those who had come by must have stolen some planks for themselves or monsters chased the hunters out that were there. This shelter was better than nothing, Trevor thought and found himself the last corner. He turned off his lamp to not draw any attention to himself. Even then, Trevor couldn't allow himself to be asleep for too long, he would usually just nap for a while. His body would rest and still be awake enough to notice any unusual noise. With a low sigh, he pulled his cloak closer around him. It was chilly and he could feel the wind blow through the cracks of the damaged walls.

Not long after Trevor had allowed to close his eyes, he had found himself awake, having him seemingly slept through the night. He was awoken by the rain drumming against the roof. Or, at least, the few planks above him. The surroundings were lighter than before, though covered by the curtain of rain. Trevor groaned to himself, he had wanted to get up earlier. He needed to walk some more distance until he would arrive.

As the hunter packed himself up to protect himself from the rain, he wondered if his home village even existed anymore. It has been years after all and it might have changed quite a lot since the last time he had seen it.

The memories of Warakiya Village were dull in the back of his mind. There was no color to them. A bunch of different smells he associated with it and another strange mix of sounds and melodies. It was far away from him now, but Trevor remembered it fondly nonetheless.

There was something ever so innocent about his past that the hunter almost had to laugh about it.

Who knew that, back then, those people with whom he shared his childhood with, would turn theirbacks on him and his mother, declaring them the children of the devil?

A weird turn of events which he wasn't able to comprehend as a child. Yet, that was what life was all about, it changes all around on your whenever you expect it the least. Trevor sighed to himself, he could only hope that this kind of change would grace him with a better future. It eventually had to show itself if he was to take matters into his own hands, right?

Despite his legs protesting every now and then, Trevor didn't stop on his way. Taking a rest wasn't exactly comfortable while it was still pouring. The path getting all muddy and the air cooled down significantly. It kept going until the sun was setting already and the faint shadows of a couple of buildings were seen. That motivated him enough to keep going while his cloak was becoming heavier on his shoulders. To his dismay, he had to find out how most of these buildings were in ruins and Trevor felt his heart sink in his chest. It was to be expected, he had been told that the forces of the Lord of Darkness had been brutal.

When he was getting closer, it was awfully silent. The hunter tried to listen for any signs of life, he couldn't see anybody behind the windows or the ruins of the houses, but he did spot movement. Unfortunately, the hunter thought, those might not be any humans. However, he did immediately go for the remains of the church of the village which is in one of the best conditions. It even had some of its roof and all four walls somewhat intact. No matter if it was destroyed for now, it was holy ground that the demons couldn't enter. Trevor would try to plan from there.

His steps towards the gate trigged something. There was suddenly a lot of noise around the church, he grabbed his Vampire Killer instinctively and remained on the spot. He watchedevery opening on the front of the church until a group of three people stepped to the open gate with its old copper doors which were barely hanging in to begin with. The three looked tired and worn, their faces spoke of exhaustion and their clothes were ripped. As soon as they spotted Trevor, they backed off with their pitchforks and broken lances. They didn't believe that there could have been another human around. Frankly, if the hunter had been in their place, he wouldn't have imagined to see any person in the next years.  
"You, young man, what do you seek in this destroyed village? There is nothing for you to do here." It was the tallest man, the clothing reminded him of a priest, but he was a bit too young to be a serious holy man. Then again, these days called for drastic measurements.  
Trevor lifted his hands to them once he had put away his weapon. "I was sent by the Church to rid this county from the Curse." Better be honest about it, people should be his allies rather than his enemies.  
Around the next corner came a skeleton, its light eyes immediately focused on the hunter and ran towards him. The massive man of the group rushed out quicker than one would think of him, he smacked the skeleton across the chest and shoved him back.  
"Get in, get in!", he barked angrily and despite the fact that Trevor would have been perfectly able to defend himself. He escaped to the church and the attacker followed after him. Together they pressed themselves against the gates to close them. With every other enemy, this would have been laughable. Considering how the demons couldn't cross the borders of the church as long as all its walls were up, it proved itself to be somewhat effective.

These three men weren't the only inhabitants of the church, there was a handful more of them. All were of young age, the hunter would even suggest that most of them were younger than him. Their eyes were set on Trevor at once. They watched him with caution, but at the same time, they almost looked relieved to know that people didn't abandon them completely.  
The young priest approached him and took him by his shoulder, he offered him a gentle smile. "We welcome you here in the remains of this village, traveler." The others had already prepared a fire under a part of the roof, Trevor was lead to sit with them. None of them complained about it, though the hunter kept himself ready just in case they would change their mind about him. Especially as soon as they would hear his name. For a second, he pondered if he should just hide his family name, but that was against his honor.  
There was nothing wrong with him or his ancestors, nothing to be ashamed about.  
"Thank you for your generosity." Trevor finally pulled off his hood and edged closer to the fire. The warmth was more than pleasant to his frame which had been freezing to his bones. He rubbed his hands, making himself somewhat comfortable while he could never shake off their gazes. "I am glad to see that I found other people around, especially here. I would have been devastated if no one survived." Speaking his mind was important to win their trust, he figured. Besides, Trevor was a bad liar anyway, so might as well be honest.  
A young brunette beside him leaned to his side with interest. Her mischievous smirk was making him somewhat uncomfortable. "You speak as if you were hoping to see someone special!", she hummed in amusement as she wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.  
The hunter coughed into his fist and shifted a bit away as he felt his cheeks changing color. "You are mistaken. I returned for this used to be my home many years ago." As if their curiosity wasn't great enough, now they were glued to his lips. Trevor wasn't used to this much attention. It was difficult to ignore it and he knew that his voice would shake if he continued to explain. Luckily, the priest leaned forward and squinted his eyes. The drumming of the rain drops against the roof and the crackling of the fire filled their ears, the faint sound of thunder in the distance.

"I have to admit, you do look familiar, but my memory is rather fuzzy. Would you mind telling us your name?" Before Trevor could even begin to take a breath, he added quickly with a weak laugh: "My name is Aurel! I used to be a priest in training, but seeing how most villagers were either killed or chased away... I felt the urge to take over and give hope to those few who decided to stay. We wait for the terror to be over for none of us have anywhere else to go." And escaping didn't lead to immediate safety. You could be slayed by demons either way, so the decision to stand their ground was understandable.  
"I was born in this village and lived with my mother in a hut." In any other part of Wallachia, Trevor wouldn't have had a problem with telling his name right away. Yet, some form of childish fear crawled up his back and he shook himself. If he was to be casted away again, he would have have no other place to return to. Trevor was technically still banished, he told himself that much, as he took another breath to continue on. "I am Trevor Belmont. We were chased away from here when I was little." Everyone held their breath. Some nodded to themselves and other mumbled how they did hear of the name before. In the village, they had one stories or two in general about it actually, though they made it seem like the events happened decades ago. Some were positive while others were more negative. The majority of those ten people did admit that they were too young to remember anything proper. Even Aurel, who looked like he would be the oldest of them all, had to ponder a lot about it, though he did raise his hands to calm the rest of them down.  
"Well, if the Church is trusting him, so can we. He remains unharmed after entering these four holy walls, we can safely assume that Trevor comes with good intentions. We can set those stories aside. If we were to believe one of those, then those that speak of his ancestors' blessed blood!" A knot formed in the hunter's throat and he gazed down, beginning to grow shy from everyone around him, especially the genuine words of the priest. "Therefore, we welcome you back home, Trevor, even if Warakiya is nothing like it was before…"

This tugged on the hunter more than he liked to admit. He shifted in place again so that he could square his shoulders properly. The warmth of the fire had completely covered him and the pleasant sensation had his muscles relax some more. "What happened exactly?" This set off another moment of silence in which they looked at one another as if sharing their frightful memories in mind. The hunter felt a bit worse for evoking these memories again, but the brunette from before did her best to explain.

People have gone insane, she mumbled as she embraced her legs and pulled them close. Darkness fell over everyone and evil acts have been committed. In a way, they believed that the Curse was a way of God for punishing humanity. For getting off the path this much, for turning His created realm to one resembling Hell. The village itself had been destroyed by an army of demons which was led by the "Wallachian Demon", as they would call it. A group that would raid the countryside and claim more and more land for its Master, Lord Dracula.  
"Now it seems like that the giant Skeleton Knight by the graveyard and his... Fellow monsters have taken over these ruins and turned it into their stronghold." Aurel crossed his arms and frowned as he stared into the fire. There were other troubling beasts around, but the skeletons were most common.  
Trevor took hold of his cross around his neck as he looked around the group. "God has not abandoned you and neither is this any of His work. Lord Satan has sent the Antichrist to us, it's a test of faith and strength." With that, the hunter got back on his feet with his gaze turned to the altar and the massive cross which was unbroken. "And I will defeat this Skeleton Knight to prove to you that there is hope." His determination was leaving the rest speechless. They had wanted to tell him that he would be better off staying with them for at least another day, but the hunter wouldn't listen. He approached the altar, lightning struck near them, everything became bright for a second. The enormous drumming of the thunder cracked in their ears.

For a moment, the hunter could only stand in front of it, awestruck by the size of the cross before him. It was imposing and heavy. He swallowed nervously and knelt on his knees, folded his hands to a prayer to God for this was where is holy mission was to start.  
Trevor prayed for strength, both physically and mentally. For guidance and help in need when he would be blinded by the devil's tricks. All of this was spoken in his mind, his worries and hopes sent to God and His angels. Only then let he raise his voice to a whisper as if to round up his prayer with a psalm he remembered.

"Even though I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." His lips were trembling and not from the cold alone. "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

In the end, his last thoughts were with his ancestors and pleaded for their blessing, too. Trevor would rid their name of shame, would clean his ancestor Leon's name and clear the one of his mother, too. As one of the chosen warriors of God, he would do his duty.

As his eyes fluttered open again, the hunter could feel determinations flood his mind and body again. Strength welled underneath his skin, his hands turned to fists. Not even the lightning or thunder around him could make him flinch anymore. Then, as if ignited by the thunder, Trevor swung around and marched to the gates.  
He hesitated in one moment, threw one last gaze to the others with his hands on the broken, cold metal. They returned it his gaze with awe. Aurel crossed himself instead of speaking up, there was no need for any of it. Trevor couldn't help but smile at that gesture. Even between the greatest rumble, there would be life and no force of evil could extinguish what God had created, but it certainly tried. With newfound courage, the hunter swung the gates open. With his Vampire Killer at hand, he was ready to take out the demons which had infested his childhood home.

The skeletons, which were patrolling around, weren't too much of a problem. As frightening as they looked with their glowing yellow eyes or the strips of rotten meat hanging from their bones. Mostly, one hit of his whip was enough to have them break apart and watch them burst into flames and ashes. They weren't exactly sturdy against his strength... The bats were a greater nuisance, they would rush down on him to nibble and bite down on skin. Clearly, they weren't satisfied with the corpses on the floor which they feasted on. His hands would smack them awa. If he saw them dashing down towards him, he slashed them with dagger, either cutting their wings off or their hairy bodies in half.

It was between other ruins when Trevor spotted a light. As he edged closer by hiding behind a single, half-broken wall, he saw a giant bonfire with a whole pack of werewolves sitting around it. The flames were redder than one would imagine. Obviously, since it was still pouring, this wasn't supposed to be natural fire. These werewolves reminded him of the one he had fought off in the town. Perhaps one of these had found their way there. At the end of the circle rested a giant skeleton. His hollow eyes watching the monsters prance around the fire in a wild dance while his dark blue armor shimmered from the flames. While its body was resembling the bones of a human, its head was more of a bull with its long snout and thick horns coming out of the skull. Next to him laid a longsword and a round shield with an inverted red cross on it. This must have been the leader, the Skull Knight, of whom the villagers had talked about earlier.

Trevor knew that he couldn't take on all these werewolves at once, it wouldn't be wise to get them all to attack him. His hands stroked over the wall and there was an idea popping in his mind. Once he could hear a part of the pack near him, the hunter threw himself against the bricks, pushing and pressing against it until the poor construction couldn't stand anymore. It collapsed on many beasts, squished them under their weight or, at least, they weren't able to crawl out anymore.  
The Skull Knight jumped on its feet and pointed at Trevor. "Seize him and deliver his head to me!", boomed its rattling voice out of his chest. However, instead of attacking him, the skeleton grabbed his sword and shield and escaped in slow steps. Since as massive as it was, it couldn't run due to its' weight. The rest of the pack, four of the demons, charged at him. Between the other ruins came out other skeletons to approach him, too. The hunter did his best to defend himself, one crack here, another dagger there. His enemies were jumping around and slashing the air. Trevor found himself dodging more than actually attacking with this number of foes around him and they soon were able to form a circle around him. Trevor spun in his spot as they drew closer menacingly. If he was to attack even one of them, the rest would throw themselves on top of him. Suddenly, a rock flew right against a werewolf's head. It yelped out and another couple of rocks hit the rest from above. Panic and confusion broke out between the monsters, but Trevor had quickly spot some of two of the villagers on top of the ruins. They rained rocks and bricks on the demons. From behind another wall ran three others, among them was Aurel. Screaming and yelling, they seemed more frightening and have the monsters focus on them instead. Seeing how they were weaker than Trevor, they did went for them. The hunter followed up to get rid of some of the skeletons for they were easy to take out. However, Aurel had to take a deep breath to yell at the hunter from his distance as he jabbed a werewolf in the chest.

"Follow the Skull Knight!" He pointed at the direction the skeleton had fled to. "It will try to escape! You have to stop it!"  
As frightened as Trevor was with leaving them alone with the beasts, he figured that they had survived for so long for a reason and would be able to defend themselves. At least, they could get back to the church before any real damage was done. The hunter tore his eyes away from the fighting villagers and turned to speed up to catch up with the Skull Knight.

On his way, Trevor arrived by the graveyard and he noticed how many of the graves were open, holes all over the ground. His stomach twisted at the mere thought of how many poor souls were resurrected as demonic creatures or how many had to function as food to the demons.  
Soon enough, part of these demonic creatures rose from the holes, rotting corpses climbing out of them and hasting towards Trevor. He whipped from side to side at any of them who dared to come close. They were just as fragile as the skeletons from before, though watching them collapse into a pile of meat with worms crawling and digging in all over had a different effect on him. Needless to say, the smell was more than nauseating, but Trevor preferred to focus on the main target which knew that it was going to lose this race.  
Thus, the Skull Knight came to a halt and turned around to face Trevor who was getting closer by the second. It armed itself with its sword and held up its shield as if waiting for one attack by the other. Trevor slowed down to save up some of his energy for this fight. Obviously, this fight was going to be a lot more difficult than the rest of the skeletons that he had faced before.

"Foolish human! What makes you come to the Lord's territory? What makes you believe that you can claim back what is rightfully ours?!" Its voice resounded in the area, barely muffled by the rain and thunder. Trevor shuffled his feet in place to get ready for any attack, the muddy ground slippery under his soles. Perhaps he could use this as an advantage, he thought to himself. Though he was aware that it could be just as well his own doom if he was careless. It was then when it spotted the Vampire Killer in his hand and Trevor could swear that he saw a yellow sparkle flaring up in the empty holes of its skull. "You are different, human, your blood is of different origin. What a shame that I will have to smash your head, but Lord Dracula will shower me with riches!" The Skull Knight laughed hollowly or Trevor thought so, for the sound was so metallic that it hurt his ears.

Instead of answering to the monster, it wasn't worthy of any kind of answer anyway for it was a pathetic creature of Hell, the hunter let the whip crack in the air. The Skull Knight drummed its sword against the shield in response. As Trevor hurried closer and snapped his weapon at him, he had to realize that the shield and armor were immune to any of his hits. The daggers were reflected from it, too. One swing from the longsword of the Knight knocked over graves and the rocks shot through the air like projectiles. Mud and earth followed and making it harder to see. The hunter tried to aim for its skull which the monster kept protecting with its shield, but it was hard to get close enough to land any kind of hit. One swing of the blade would have definitely been fatal. Trevor had to risk getting hit though if he ever was going to be able to whip its head off, ducking under the blade as it barely passed his own head. He could feel the gush of air above him and perhaps it cut a hair or two. The shock of the moment hadn't the hunter paralyzed. He reacted immediately and got back up and slashed the whip across its fleshless face. With a hollow yell, the Skull Knight staggered back and swirled his sword around in a desperate attempt to hack Trevor in half. The hunter gasped and held his breath, avoiding the blade, but he didn't back away too much and instead moved to the side while the foe was unfocused. Another snap from the whip on the back of the skull, he spotted dark cracks after the impact and another bloodcurdling scream parted the thick teeth. The sword fell from its hand and slammed into the mud, more than half of its blade covered.

Now it was its shield that was wildly shaken above and around its skull to protect itself. Yet, this was only a matter of strategy now on how Trevor was going to take the Skeleton Knight apart.  
Seeing how the skeleton staggered in place, Trevor let his Vampire Killer wrap around one bony leg and gave one strong thug. With the muddy ground, it was slippery enough to pull this heavy beast. In fact, it was quick enough to pull its leg in the air, the enemy collapsed in the front from the strength. Before the skeleton had hit the ground, the hunter had let go off the other and hastened to the discarded sword. The iron was as heavy as it looked, Trevor let out a strained groan when he took hold of the hilt. It was enough to lift it with both his arms and he dragged it along through the ground, leaving a furrow in the earth behind himself. His steps quickened to get to him when the monster struggled to get back up and off the ground. With one bit of his remaining strength, Trevor pierced the sword through the back of its armor. Another ear piercing scream burst from the demon. It shifted and flapped with its arms and legs in this position, but the movement was slowing down further and further. The hunter watched with a mix of terror and awe how the Skull Knight was falling apart in front of him. The bones disengaged themselves from one another, many more growls and yells rumbled out as if that was going to stop its end until the skull finally snapped from its neck and the bones caught fire. Only the armor, sword and shield were left behind.

As the skull burned out, Trevor spotted something in particular in one eye socket. Between the flames shimmered something in dark red. Once the fire had died out, he trailed over the mud and bent down to retrieve an orb. It wasn't any bigger than his palm, but it was warm and pulsating like a heart, full of life and energy. The insides wobbled like red fog and the hunter could swear that he had seen a glint of the Skull Knight within it. Without thinking twice about it, Trevor let the orb slip in one of his leather pouches.  
The sky seemed to have cleared to watch the conclusion of this battle, Trevor noticed with a light frown. He looked up to see how the sky wasn't as dark anymore, he could even spot one star or two.

The hunter was soon distracted by the sounds coming from the village. It was the group of the church that hastened towards him, but instead of seeing the same tired glint in their eyes, there was something hopeful to them. Without any hesitation, the priest approached him and took him by both his shoulders.  
"You… You have done it!", he exclaimed in utter joy, though that only left Trevor confused. They hadn't seen him battle the Skull Knight, but he was glad that they had made it past the group of monsters from before. Aurel registered the expression and his smile softened. He gave a squeeze to his shoulders before he pulled his hands backs and he looked beside him to spot the lonely armor in the mud. "The demon's army was connected to him. It seemed, when you had slayed the Skull Knight, the rest noticed and fled away from us as if we had been the greatest danger all along. We hadn't seen any other on our way back to the church and as we realized as much, we had needed to see what was of you." Some form of fear swung in his voice, but it was evident that they weren't afraid of Trevor and instead for his safety. Of course, Trevor wasn't used to this sort of reaction.

The hunter threw one last gaze to the remains of the Skull Knight. "It was only one step closer to Lord Dracula. This is a warning to him, to let him know that someone is willing to put an end to this." Trevor pressed his lips together. This foe was most likely nothing compared to its master that had created him in the first place.  
However, Aurel wasn't distracted by this mood and offered him another gentle smile. "Please, let us offer you a place of rest and some of what we have left. It's all that we can do, but we have to show our gratitude somehow."  
This kind of helpfulness was still something that Trevor wasn't used to and he felt how his cheeks heated up. "You don't have to do anything. This was my duty." He nodded to underline his words, but the villagers wouldn't have any of it. The brunette woman from before took him by his arm, which didn't help at all, his frame became even more paralyzed from the touch. It was almost ridiculous, Trevor cursed bitterly to himself. He could face any kind of terrible creature, but something like this was throwing him off.  
The world sure was a strange place.

"Now, don't be too humble!", the woman purred with a meaningful smirk. Trevor had to tear his gaze away before he could interpret more into it than necessary. "The Devil's castle isn't too far from here. What if we were to tell you how to get in? Would you accept our kind offer in exchange for that?" She spoke as if their offers from before weren't tempting enough which, quite honestly, when the opposite was true. Yet, now he couldn't deny that this kind of knowledge would be essential for his mission. With his head bowed a little, he agreed and they made their way back to the church with Trevor between them.

For the first time in many long years, Trevor was willingly allowed in a group of people and they all welcomed him happily. Naturally, the hunter was far from feeling that he was part of this group, but he was more than content to know that he was accepted as a guest. As promised, they shared some of their food with him as they sat around the fire back at the churc. After they prepared dinner, they told him of the next location that he should aim for.

 _The Clock Tower of Untimely Death._

At least, that's what everyone somewhat near Lord Dracula's castle would call it. The building was one of the main towers of the castle. It was connected by a bridge to the main halls and thus useful if one wanted to get to the Lord of Darkness. This was a route that apparently many had tried to conquer when wanting to vanquish Lord Dracula by themselves. Not a single one had returned once they had entered. It was just as dangerous as the name would suggest and the few travelers and soldiers that did pass the Clock Tower would speak of the sights and sounds they could spot from the ground. Just looking up at the ominous building was a proof of the presence of the Antichrist among Earth.

"A group of soldiers that patrolled around the countryside would tell us that the Wallachian Demon lives at the top of the Clock Tower…", mumbled one of the villagers as he nibbled on the hard bread in an attempt to make it softer. "Coming down with a horde to take more and more land in the name of its master and Lord Dracula."  
Trevor frowned at his words and squeezed his eyes. "Its master? So, you mean, the Lord of Darkness isn't its master?"  
"Of course, Lord Dracula is the master of all demonic creatures that now roam this world." Aurel had taken over the word again and shook his head in defeat. "But it seems like he isn't the only vampire that has some sort of control. Some rumors say that it's his wife, some others claim that it's his own son that takes command of some of the stronger monsters. After all, the Lord of Darkness has his minions to keep everything under control. It would be up to impossible to keep this massive horde under his eyes at all times." And as long as they would follow his will and orders, Lord Dracula wouldn't have to check up on any of them. Now that Trevor had gotten rid of one of his minions, the Lord of Darkness might reconsider his strategy. "It's shameful how helpless we are in comparison to what this demon is planting all over... But I am proud that we haven't grown mad from it all like some others did…"

It must have been terrible to watch Wallachia be torn apart by the Curse one by one. Something that he once had called his home was now a shadow of its own self. "You are far from helpless then", the hunter concluded and allowed himself to smile reassuringly. "If you were able to survive for so long and believe in God and His strength, then you might be stronger than you think." His words didn't fall on deaf ears, the villagers remained silent for a moment and weighted the meaning of those words before some of them gave light nods. Trevor knew that they didn't believe in themselves as much as he did, but apparently treasured these words.  
"It's late and this has been an eventful day. We should all get some rest." Aurel got up on his feet and brushed off the dust from his clothes while the others searched a place near the fire and curled up in hope to not feel too cold during their sleep while the breeze found its way in their shelter.

Now that the monsters were gone, it was awfully quiet. No screaming, no yelling, no howling. Trevor welcomed the silence more than anything, grateful once more for the kindness of the villagers and the fact that he was allowed to be asleep for a few hours before the day would rise again. In fact, the hunter didn't even mind sleeping on the floor. The flames of the fire were comforting enough for him to relax and he pulled his half-dry cloak over himself like a blanket and let his mind drift away. Images of this night flew by his head, but soon vanished the next morning just as quickly as they had come.

* * *

 _Phew, another chapter edited! Got a bit more to upload sometime, but exams are on their way and I'll have to write a paper, so expect some delay... I hope this was enjoyable, at least!_

 _See you next time!_


	3. Clockwork

~ 2-1: Clockwork 

As much as Trevor had protested the next morning, he couldn't stop the villagers from giving him some of their resources. It consisted of food and the rest was some more oil and holy water from Aurel. For his next travels, they had wanted to show their gratitude towards him and he was practically helpless against a group of people. After all, Trevor was their last hope. Couldn't have hunger take him down out of all things. It wasn't the most honorable death imaginable for a task such as this.

Besides, the path to the Clock Tower was supposed to take about two whole days without many stops. Thus he could need all the energy he could get for the chances of meeting anybody else that could assist him were low. In fact, Trevor would prefer hiding away from any kind of group of monsters instead of facing them. He didn't wish to waste any kind of breath on them which he could have used to get closer to the Clock Tower which, after a day of marching on the road, loomed in the distance as a constant black shadow on the horizon, no matter if it was light or dark at the moment. Whatever awaited him in there, it surely deserved more attention than any of the rabid dogs and bats all around him.

Wallachia certainly had changed since the last time he had seen it. Not that Trevor had ever travelled a lot during his days as a child. However, there was something different in the air altogether. The closer he had gotten to the Clock Tower and therefore the Devil's castle, the heavier the atmosphere seemed. It was becoming weight on his shoulders, daring to pull him down and have him give up right away. Perhaps it was one of the methods to keep potential warriors from wanting to seize the castle. Killing off the wish from within before even getting close. It planted doubt within them, made them question their own abilities until they were weak enough to be attacked and mutilated by whatever Lord Dracula threw at them.

But not Trevor. It was getting gloomier, yes, and the environment less and less friendly. As if they had ever been friendly before, but now it was entirely outlandish to him, though his mind was set dead focused on his task. Honestly, he wouldn't have blamed anybody else who turned their backs on the Devil's Castle. Its silhouette behind the Clock Tower was even more menacing, especially when the moon shone from behind the clouds. Fright was part of human nature and Trevor was no less. He would be lying he said that he didn't feel one shred of doubt or fear within himself during this journey. Loneliness was his only companion and it would usually follow up with thoughts that wouldn't torment him as much if he had someone to coverse with. Perhaps it was one of the factors that had other brave men give up on their quest if they dared to go alone which, he laughed to himself bitterly, was a bad idea. The Lord of Darkness had sent out many foes to take over Wallachia and the rest of Europe with his Curse. But was one man enough?  
Then again, who would willingly choose to accompany a member of the Belmont family? A group of people apparently cursed in their blood. Even those who didn't believe in these rumors, it was a risk to be with him. They must have been banished for a good reason those many years ago, the Church couldn't have made a mistake.

A bitter taste was left on his tongue at the thought. Trevor did know he was a warrior of God and he would be under His protection. People themselves were flawed and they were bound to make mistakes, but one would think that the servants of God, the priests and bishops, were wiser than that. If it wasn't for his mother, Trevor would have been executed just the same under their hand. Fate was twisted somehow, something that he wasn't able to fully understand, but it usually found its best way.

About two and a half days had passed when Trevor had found himself getting closer and closer to the Clock Tower. His blue eyes glanced up the building, he could barely spot the top anymore; it was so high. The faint clicking and turning of wheels reached his ears. The Clock Tower one gigantic clockwork to keep the watch working. Yet, the hunter hadn't heard the bells once during his travels, so he assumed that there weren't any to begin with. Once Lord Dracula would succeed in taking over the world and become its ruler, eternal night would reign. At least, darkness for eternity. The Antichrist might not have had the power to influence the sun in the sky, he might as well block it out with his Curse.

The fact that there was not a single guard in front of the copper gates spoke of large confidence. As if knowing that anybody who wasn't welcomed or belonged to the Clock Tower were soon to be demolished upon entry. The metal gave a dull shine despite all the scratches and nails all over it. Maybe the Wallachian Demon would send minions to polish the gates to make them look more inviting. It was a silly idea, but at least it kept Trevor's spirits up as he approached it. A demon of Hell who was obsessed with keeping everything clean, blood was hard to wash out after all.

But now Trevor was just trying to amuse himself. He shook his head with a frown, this was no time for jokes like that. 

Its confidence was proved once again by the gates not locked by any means and he was allowed to swing them open easily after one kick to them. The mechanism was either rusty or someone forgot to close the gates properly. Trevor glanced up right above him. The faint sounds now roaring and echoing in the building up and down, the iron aching under their own weight and merely held up by their connection. The clockwork moved and ticked above him, many stairs lead around them. As menacing and dangerous the construction looked, ever so massive and fragile at the same time, Trevor couldn't help but be amazed by all the movement above him. Never had he witnessed anything like it. If this place wasn't infested with demons crawling all over it, the Clock Tower was an incredibly impressive work of architecture.

With his cloak now thrown back and his hand on his belt by the Vampire Killer, Trevor took the first stairs and he threw another glance up. It promised to be a long climb. The reputation of the Clock Tower was enough to promise that it would be just as difficult to conquer.

After Trevor had passed two pairs of stairs, he spotted knight armors on the walls, blindly staring into the air. However, instead of swords, they held axes in both fists. From between these empty shells jumped out skeletons and they threw rocks or bones at him. He couldn't help but wonder if they ripped those out from their fellow monsters or if they belong to their victims. Those foes were barely any trouble just as much as the ones from Warakija village. Though, when he had climbed another row of stairs, Trevor was taken by surprise. Another skeleton warrior had charged forward, but before the hunter could even crack his whip to knock its skull off, one of the armored knights clattered forward and crushed the puny creature with one axe, then it marched towards Trevor. It was obviously a lot slower than the hunter and the monster was aware of it, so it hurled its weapon at him. Trevor jumped forward to avoid having his feet cut off by rusty blades. The axes swung back like a boomerang into the knight's hand, then he flung the other axe at him in hopes to manage to rip his head off his shoulders. The hunter rolled under it, used the momentum of it to get back on his feet and escaped up the stairs. At the end of it waited another knight, immediately attacking him the same way. Trevor gritted his teeth in irritation, ducked under the flying axe, though the second one right after managed to cut into his calf. A strained cry came parted his lips and he lashed his whip at the foe, though the impact only left cracks over the chest and the knight didn't seem to care. In sheer desperation, Trevor whipped against his enemy. Another three hits had the armor burst into pieces and without the chest, the other limbs couldn't stick. Despite the stinging pain in his leg, Trevor hastened up the next stairs only to be greeted by other knights.

It was up to impossible to fight each of them without any injury. The hunter merely got rid of those that were in his way and he found himself running past most of them. The further Trevor had gotten, the more knights he was running into while he pushed off other skeletons. However, the blades didn't only cut the air, they also clashed against the stairs and the impact was strong enough to have those collapse behind him. Apparently, the demons had realized how they wouldn't be able to catch up to him, so they decided to swing their axes up to break more stairs to cut off his escape route. Trevor cursed loudly as he watched the stone tumble to their doom. He only had to glance down once to notice how far up he was at this point and that one false step would send him to where Dracula originated from. He would be lucky if he broke his neck from the fall on one of those wheels on the way and not be crushed by any of them. Above him was another floor. There would be a door to cross to get to the upper part of the clockwork, most likely its' main construction.

While returning downstairs wasn't recommended, Trevor had to find his way further up instead. Now that the stairs were almost all broken, the easy way up had practically vanished and his gaze wandered to the rattling wheels. Only someone out of his mind would consider jumping on those to climb to the top of the Clock Tower.

Then again, Trevor was out of his mind enough to even try to conquer Dracula's Castle without any sort of help. So this wouldn't have been one of his craziest decisions so far.

The hunter took a deep breath and focused. He imagined the path that he had to take right before his mind, how he would need to jump and what to grasp on to not be crushed by any of the machinery. Before thinking twice about whether he should do it or not, he took a running start and jumped off the edge unto one of the larger wheels. Trevor clung to one tooth, his feet weren't steady on the iron, it was slippery from the oil that was supposed to keep the movement smooth. Just getting closer and closer to the gap was making his heart race. He carefully placed one foot on top of the tooth and watched the other wheel moving upwards. Once he was close enough, he grabbed unto one of the teeth, heaved himself up with the help of his legs. His fingers clutched to the metal as he allowed himself to be pulled upwards until he could place his feet under the tooth beneath him. Another ledge was just in sight, it would have been the next platform that Trevor could have reached with the stairs if they hadn't been demolished. Luckily, the knights couldn't reach the next pair of stairs with their axes. The hunter pressed his lips together and focused on this jump, he mustn't miss that one unless he wished to greet the depths underneath him. Trevor couldn't even spot the floor anymore, since at some point it was shrouded in the dark. He gulped visibly at that and forced his eyes back up, getting ready and took the leap. His hands clasped the stone edge, his body dangled dangerously in the air and his fingers scratched the stone desperately. If he was to hang there much longer, his arms would have given up from the restraint. Thus, Trevor closed his eyes firmly and stemmed himself up, at least so much so that his head was now peeking over the edge. With a strained groan, he forced one leg up over the edge, using this limb as an extra boost to heave his shaking body up. He found himself rolling on his back soon enough, his hand on his chest as he panted from sheer nervousness. Trevor could feel his heart pound against his chest, it was a miracle that it didn't break any bones at that point. When he allowed his eyes to flutter open, a blue head floated by and laughed at his dismay. The hunter immediately sat up in both surprise and panic. The creature flew by and before he could make out what it was, another one greeted him from another side. In fact, many women's heads came flying at him in a wavy pattern. Their faces contorted and each of them carrying the same looks, their hair resembling snakes more than actual strands of hair. It was as if they were trying to bring him out of concept and getting him out of his rhythm when he continued upwards. Sometimes using stairs and sometimes having to take other leaps of faith over broken edges and wheels. The monsters were infuriating, to put it mildly. Some of them, Trevor whacked with his whip, but most of the time he couldn't even figure out when it was the right moment to hit them. They got to avoid mostly and if they edged close enough, they would bump him hard in an attempt to push him off. Surprisingly, they were strong at doing so. Trevor was left baffled and it once had him slip from a wheel, but he was luckily quick enough to take hold of it again.

In a way, Trevor couldn't believe that he had survived this trip and reached the top floor of the Clock Tower. The floating severed heads had almost drove him insane and just the sight of another skeleton trying to cut off his path had fueled his anger even more. Needless to say, he had taken the frustration out on them.

But now, the main clockwork ticked above his head. The sound was deafening evermore and the chamber was gigantic. At the end of the chamber was another small set of stairs that, as much as he could spot from his current position, lead to a bridge outside. It was night still. No light entered the chamber and it was kept illuminated by lamps hanging from the ceiling between all those wheels. Before the hunter could even finish his own pair of stairs, another figure stepped out from the side where it had hidden behind one grand rusty wheel. It was a curvy woman in a tight dress, though it were her shimmering red lips and menacing eyes that caught his attention first, her face was caressed by luscious black locks.

"Well, would you look at that! We have gained a visitor!", she lilted in amusement, however, she watched his every move. Trevor merely growled at her in anger which she seemed to be even more amused with. "Really, I have to congratulate you! It seems like you are one of the few that actually manage to see this chamber! Isn't it a work of art?" The woman opened her arms as if inviting him to look around. It almost sounded like this construction was her idea.

"Are you the Wallachian Demon?!", the hunter hissed in response, ignoring what she had said. That lack of attention had her pout playfully and she stemmed her arms to her hips.

"Do I look like a monster to you?" At that, Trevor noticed the pointed pair of teeth in her mouth. They poked from under her pouty lips and the white of them were quite a contrast to the dark red.

The hunter instantly held his Vampire Killer in front of him, aiming at the demon. "You are a creature of the night, so no less of a monster in my eyes." Yet, the sight of his holy whip was the first thing that had the woman hesitate. Her gaze focused on him and he could feel how her crimson eyes were scanning him, then she grimaced out of disgust.

"You are a Belmont, are you not?!" Pure hatred and bitterness rolled from her tongue and Trevor found himself caught by surprise by this exposal of emotion in her voice.

The hunter squared his shoulders nonetheless. His kind was most likely known among the vampires after all. "That I am."

The answer didn't please the demon at all and she pressed her lips together, her arms began to shake. In the next moment, a playful smirk bloomed on her lips, though the angered spark in her eyes didn't die out and she clicked with her tongue at that. "I wouldn't have thought that the filthy little witch did calve out a bastard son. I almost pity you, Belmont."

Her mockery wasn't without effect. Trevor tensed up in an instant and had to control himself not to launch at her right away. "You keep your tongue under control, otherwise I will have to rip it out with my very own hands, demon!"

The vampire was happy to have hit such a sensitive spot and wanted to poke it some more. "What? Isn't that what has happened?" She tilted her head to the side as if acting innocent despite her expression showing without a doubt that she knew what she was talking about. "Executed by those she had protected? It's so like this foolish woman to sacrifice herself. Too bad it was for a young boy like you. What a waste of useless life, but I can't say that I didn't expect that."

Trevor was starting to see red, how did this reckless creature of Hell even dare to speak of his mother like that?! In his anger, he didn't even seem to be aware of the way the demon spoke about his mother and her fate. Actually, it was in frightening detail, though one would think that a vampire serving under Dracula would know these facts.

Either way, the hunter was blinded by his own rage; his hands clenched to fists. "I will end you, wretched beast!" That was the last he could say before he dashed forward, but the vampire jumped back with a laugh and glided upwards to one of the turning wheels.

She waved at him and bashed her long eyelashes innocently. "Not so fast, Belmont, you have wished to meet the Wallachian Demon and I will be so kind to show him to you." The vampire threw him a kiss. "My master will be delighted to hear that you exist. You will make quite a fun enemy to toy around with, I am sure! If my sweet pet won't rip your limbs off, that is!" She seemed awfully delighted about this. Then she turned into a bat, flying out one of the small windows at the top of the chamber.

With his fury still bristling underneath his skin, Trevor marched towards the gate to the bridge. As he climbed those few steps, his eyes caught a strange shimmering in the doorway. The hunter leaned in carefully, little raindrops from the last storm seemed to be hanging in the air. Once his eyes focused better, he realized that there were incredibly thin strings all over the doorway. He could imagine what they could do if one walked through without care.

When Trevor pulled out his dagger to cut through the strings, another sound caught his attention. It was faint, but close enough for him to hear it behind him. For a moment, the hunter had believed that the vampire had returned, so he turned around to face her only to be greeted by a blade that barely passed his cheek. The gush of air stroke his skin. Instead of the woman there stood another creature, this one far more resembling a monster than her. It was covered in bandages like a heavily injured man from top to bottom and only a few strands of white hair escaped them while most of his face was bandaged, too.  
The bandages around the mouth were reddened, blood dripped from his chin and fangs which were longer than the ones the other vampire held, and his wild eyes were locked on Trevor. If they hadn't been bloodshot, the hunter would have almost called them human, they didn't carry an unnatural shine to them. Dull blades were flipped between its fingers, always ready to dart one of them at him.

Quite honestly, Trevor didn't think that this demon was up to a talk like the last one. Before the hunter could even get ready to charge at it, the other did so first and he could barely believe his eyes. The demon moved swiftly on the floor and as Trevor swung his whip to attack it, it jumped into the air and quite high, too. From above, the foe rained its blades on him and Trevor rolled to the side with a curse parting his lips. Just as quickly as the demon had been in the air, it had landed back down and chased the other. The hunter suddenly became the prey to the fiend who had summoned more blades between his fingers, determined to pin him down or even slash his face off with them. Trevor was breathless in a matter of moments. He had to keep ducking and backing away from the vampire which seemed to be glued to his every track, running all over the floor and crawling along the walls. It was as if he was playing with him, having fun in making him run in circles while his sharp blades were the motivation for Trevor to not be hit. His cloak ripped here and there, some of his tunic wasn't left without a scratch either and it would grace his skin ever so often. Unsatisfied with how things were going, the demon now charged directly at him. The speed on his bandaged feet had Trevor gasp for air and his left hand grabbed for his belt, taking hold of the large glass bottle of holy water from priest Aurel. With his teeth, he ripped off the cork and let the bottle fly to his right hand, drizzled the liquid over his other palm and flung it at the demon. The holy water splashed in its' face and neck and the demon let out a painful hiss and it staggered back, some steam coming from him. The hunter could barely use the time to lash out at it with his holy whip, the vampire soon threw itself at him. All that Trevor could do was to hold up his arms and weapons like a shield before the demon crashed into him, the impact strong enough to fall over. For a second, Trevor believed that the blades cut his face. It was out of pure reflex that his hand grasped the other's wrist. His arm was shaking under the restraint and the sharp tips of the blades were gracing his cheek, drawing blood from him. The other claw slashed down, it aimed at Trevor's arm. The Vampire Killer was dropped to take hold of that wrist, too. The demon struggled against his hold, trying to rip his arms out and several bones in Trevor's body cracked from the inhuman strength.

Trevor folded his legs in, stemmed his feet against the other's stomach and rolled backwards. Finally, he let go and drove him off with his legs while in the backwards motion. The vampire crashed to the ground, though the landing had no effect on it. So the hunter took hold of his whip again, though it was the holy water which he used first. When the demon jumped back on its feet, it was met by another gush of the sacred liquid, this time aimed at its chest. It yowled out and bent over in sheer aches, but it was just as stubborn as before and cannoned towards Trevor once more. This time it jumped to the sides as the hunter flung more holy water at it. At least, this was keeping the beast at bay, but to avoid getting sliced up by the blades was another story. In a rush of frustration, Trevor swung his Vampire Killer around him in a circle, now the weapon hit its mark. It slashed across the vampire's chest, the bandages were instantly ripped apart and a gush of blood burst from it. Its skin sizzled from the burning and Trevor wondered for a second how the blood was actually red instead of a much darker shade like the other fleshed demonic creatures he had encountered. This impact had left the foe dazzled for a moment more than the holy water could, however, its' will wasn't broken yet. In fact, this wound brought the other into a daze. The movement was more erratic and unpredictable and despite its powers fading away, it found the strength within itself to still crawl on the floor on all its fours, though now unable to throw the blades. At least, the sprinkles of holy water all around him was forming some sort of barrier, forcing the demon to pay attention to the floor as well. Trevor watched how the grey eyes darted towards the marble to see the water shimmer.

Now, Trevor was resuming his position as the hunter while his foe needed to watch out for the Vampire Killer coming at him. Due to this, the other was becoming slower, though it was hard to predict what the monster was going to do next. Despite the other's hits against its' back, the vampire wasn't backing off anymore. It was almost becoming pitiful to watch and hear. The screams spoke of true pain and yet, there was no giving up. Trevor was forced to beat him down. The slashes cut open the bandages. Its' bloody back now offered to his sight, splashing the liquid around. Clearly, Trevor was breaking flesh at this point. It seemed like an eternity until the body collapsed on the floor under all the pressure. Its' attempts to get back on its feet were utterly futile. It could barely even balance while it slithered across the floor and its' speed was diminishing by the second until it was all over in a flash.

Its' limbs twitched weakly after a while, the head on the ground and its' eyes gazed nowhere in particular. From its' right palm, his arm stretched out towards the hunter, rolled a red orb out of the bandages around it. Trevor moved closer to pick it up. It was of the same material and energy as the other one he had picked up at Warakija village except that the fog showed the vampire instead. The hunter watched him with a glint of pity in his eyes as the fiend dissolved, then he let out a deep sigh. His own limbs were hurting all over, cold sweat ran over cheeks as he marched for the gateway. After having packed away the holy water, he took hold of one dagger and slashed the sharp strings in front of him with a few strikes. The clouds of the last storm passed by and revealed the moon in all its glory, though it seemed that the night was going to pass soon. 

Then there was a pained groan. Trevor flinched badly. He had collected the orb, which seemed to contain the monster's main essence, the vampire shouldn't be anymore. His whip was untied from his belt already as he spun around.

However, the sight that greeted him wasn't the foe from before. Instead, it was a young man covered in bruises and wounds. He shakily tried to get on his hands and knees, surrounded in a pool of blood where the demon had just laid. When the stranger lifted his head, the hunter recognized the sharp grey eyes of the vampire. His hair had turned into a dark brown and his skin held a healthy shade of someone who had been out in the sun a lot. His expression spoke of deep confusion and exhaustion as if not realizing where he had been. As the man posed no further threat anymore, Trevor approached him, though the Vampire Killer was still ready at hand.

Without having fully registered the other's presence, the young man held his head with another groan. He spat out blood, then peeked down at his own hands in disbelief. "Ugh… Am I alive…?", he stuttered breathlessly before he booming voice of the hunter broke him from his daze.

"Who are you?", he asked with clear resentment in his voice. "What is your purpose in this place?" With his weapon raised and aimed at the other, of course, to keep him where he was.

For a moment, the stranger only gaped at him, then swallowed heavily and swayed in place. "I'm… I'm Grant." That came out with more hesitation than he had probably intended to. Slowly, it dawned on the man what had happened. Memories returned to him for his expression darkened and made way for anger flaring up. His frame shook much more than before. "T-That… Bastard turned me into…!" All this surging rage within him bubbled up other emotions, the other spat and coughed up blood before finishing the sentence. Trevor then approached him and knelt down to meet his level. Somehow, that reminded the young man that he was supposed to explain himself to the hunter and it brought some clarity to his mind. His head hung low between his shoulders. "I had… Ventured out to take Lord Dracula down for the… Hideous crimes he had committed. I had climbed this tower and eventually got to the top, but I was overpowered by a vampire instead…". Another weak sigh dropped from his lips and Grant continued to speak with shame, getting evermore clear about his own failure. "They locked me away… And I was turned into… That to do their bidding." The young man lifted his hands again to make sure that they weren't those claws anymore. His fingers clenched to fists. Trevor spotted the sincerity in his eyes while he spoke, but he wasn't going to interrupt him either. Naturally, it had been foolish for this man to go all by himself believing that he stood any chance against the Lord of Darkness. Yet, the hunter wasn't going to mention that considering how similar his situation had been. Grant's lips quivered, though he kept himself under control and peeked up at him. "You have… Taken the Curse away from me. H-How can I repay you?"

Trevor was honestly taken by surprise at that question and he blinked at him utterly baffled. "Repay me? I am also on a quest to fight Lord Dracula and rid this land of the Curse. Your demonic form was in my way and I had done my best to vanquish you just the same as any other monster." He placed both his hands on his shoulders to talk some sense into this man. "I advise you to leave this Clock Tower and run far away from this wretched place if you value your life." His intense stare had Grant shiver, but he proved himself to be just as stubborn as his vampire version and he pressed his bruised lips together.

"I can't let you walk out like this! You have saved my life and I am at your mercy! Please let me be able to be of use or assistance!" Despite all the pain that was running through his frame, Grant managed to show him a grin that beamed with confidence. "My speed and skills are now at your service, Sir!"

Trevor couldn't believe his ears, was this man really this foolish? Honestly, if Grant was half as quick as his demonic form, then it would be more than impressive. But he doubted that in this state that he knew what he was talking about. The hunter raised his hands in defiance. "Look, I am thankful that you wish to help me out, but—" 

The hunter couldn't finish his sentence anymore, he was interrupted by a massive explosion coming from the gateway. Both men jumped in sudden shock and fright and they could only witness how the bridge had broken apart and smoke hung in the air. The large impact had effects on the clockwork, too, which was aching soundly as the rhythm was getting interrupted. The first wheels were crashing to the ground, their weight easily strong enough to burst through it or at least damaging it enough to have the floor crack. It took them a moment to realize what was happening.

The Clock Tower was collapsing in itself.

"There's no way we can get to Dracula's Castle now!" It was a fairly obvious conclusion, he had to admit, though the hunter needed to get it out of the system. Trevor cursed loudly, it would be impossible to make the jump from one side to the other.

Grant, in the meantime, had gotten back on his shaky legs, motivated by the impending doom around them. "We'll have to get back down! O-Otherwise we won't survive this!" As Trevor wanted to hiss at him how most of the path was now destroyed or being destroyed at the moment, Grant had already turned on his bare heels and dashed towards the stairs that would lead down. "W-We have no other chance anyway! Follow me!" 

The young man wouldn't listen to the angry protests of the other, though these soon died away as he followed him along. All those wounds bore no effect on Grant apparently as he quickly moved on his feet. His grey eyes were glued to the pendulum which still swung back and forth despite the chaos around it. "Are you acrobatic enough, Sir?" There was something challenging in that smirk of his and Trevor believed that he had completely lost his mind. As the pendulum swung back in their direction, Grant had already taken a running start and jumped far, almost slamming against it. "Come on!" With one hand, he held unto the pendulum, the other waved Trevor over. "Just watch me!" When the pendulum swung the other direction, Grant leaped further and landed on a narrow platform with precise accuracy. His eyes searched for the hunter again. He could have easily made it out okay by himself, but he was too stubborn to leave Trevor behind. As another wheel crashed down behind him, Trevor found his courage again and followed his path. Obviously not as fluent as the young man, but he was far from mocking him about it and escaped further along. The knights were of no trouble anymore when the Clock Tower started to rumble. They were losing their balance, were crushed by bricks or iron or broke down through the stone and fell to their doom. Never in his life would have the hunter come up with a route like this. He probably would have stood in place for much longer to figure it out, so he blindly trusted his fellow man who was jumping and running without any sign of hesitation. It must have been the blood loss which was getting to his mind. Since Trevor wasn't being any more creative than him, he could do all but imitate whatever he was doing.

"Where have you learned all this? W-What about your wounds?", Trevor called after him once they had passed yet another obstacle course consisting of trembling wheels and broken platforms.

Grant peeked over his shoulder at him and gave a light shrug. As confident as he was giving himself, the man was at his absolute limit and the hunter hoped that he wasn't going to lose consciousness at any given moment. Especially not while on a wheel or in midair. "I'm a pirate, good Sir! Used to physical labor and activity all my life!" It sounded much more joyful than he had felt and Trevor shook his head energetically which the young man ignored entirely.

When they were starting to see the bottom floor again, both of them took a significant breath. Now only aiming to be down as fast as possible so they could haste through the door. Trevor could swear that between the aching of the wheels, he could hear a faint mocking laugh from the upper parts of the Clock Tower. It resounded sweet in the crumbling building and the hunter found that woman's voice all too familiar. This wretched beast wasn't the priority right now, he would need to deal with her later. Instead, he and Grant stumbled out of the gates, pushing them open with their last remaining strength and they almost fell over their feet as they could finally feel the grass underneath them. As Grant was already swaying dangerously in place, Trevor grabbed one arm to have it around his shoulders and drag his body after him as the other tried desperately to get further on his own. Only when they thought to be in a somewhat save distance, the duo collapsed on the ground. 

"I… I can't believe we made it…", Trevor panted breathlessly and slowly sat up again while the other merely stuttered some words. His eyes hung in the air blindly. Both shock and dread had the hunter edge closer, his hands clung to Grant's ripped jacket. "D-Don't you dare die on me now! We haven't escaped for nothing!"

A pitiful whimper parted his lips, Grant had trouble focusing on anything at the moment and he couldn't even properly glance at the hunter anymore. His face had paled to an alarming color. "N-No… I'm just… Tired…" His voice was too faint at this point. Trevor got out some of the spare bandages he had kept for himself, but obviously, the pirate had needed them more than him. The chest wound from before wasn't looking much better even if it wasn't bleeding as violently as it did during their battle. "I'm s-sorry, Sir…"

Trevor huffed in anger as he padded the deepest wounds. "There's nothing to apologize for! In fact, if it wasn't for you, I would have blown up on the bridge as I made my way across!" Perhaps the strings had been linked to some sort of timed mechanism. Not that the hunter could have understood how that worked, but the Lord of Darkness and his minions had a lot up their sleeves after all. "And you can stop calling me 'Sir', got that? My name's Trevor Belmont."

Grant tilted his head lightly to the side at the sound of that name, there was something he seemed to recognize in it, but he was missing the power to properly ponder about it. "T-Trevor then..." That was all he could mutter before he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and Trevor felt how panic took hold of his throat.  
There was a pulse, the hunter noticed as he held his fingers against the other's neck, there was still a pulse. It was faint and weak, but the pirate kept himself alive somehow after all the Hell he had been through.

"You there! What has happened around here?"

In all his fear, Trevor hadn't noticed the caravan that had approached them on the path. By the clothes and armor, he could tell that they were all soldiers, most likely from the Royal Family. Once they had gotten close enough and spotted the two injured men, the leader of them – or so Trevor guessed by how he commanded everyone around him – ordered for them to be taken on the wagon. His presence was great enough to bring respect: broad frame and proud, black beard that covered half of his face.

"The Clock Tower, have you been in there?", the commander asked as some soldiers carefully carried the unconscious body of Grant past them. Trevor followed them with his eyes for a while as he got back on his wobbly feet as if needing to make sure that they weren't going to harm the young man. Then he only nodded and finally let his blue eyes snap to the commander who gazed up at the crumbling mess of a building; the main clockwork had already collapsed entirely. "Was the Wallachian Demon in there as well? Have you fought it?"

For a second, the hunter didn't reply. Indeed, he had fought the wretched demon, but he didn't give his answer too quick. "Indeed, we had fought it and escaped afterwards." The soldier didn't need to know Grant had actually been the monster guarding the Clock Tower. Instead, the commander's eyes grew wide with surprise and admiration and he quickly shooed him on the wagon, too, where Trevor could find his place near his knocked out companion. 

'Companion', huh? Trevor scoffed to himself in his thoughts. In the main chamber of the Clock Tower, he had tried to make this young man understand that he wouldn't need his help and that he would be safer off if he was to leave this place. Yet, there was such honesty in whatever the pirate would say and do, which was ironic for a man who usually ran away from the law, the hunter couldn't ignore him. With his help, he had escaped his 'untimely death' as the regular townsfolk would say. Grant couldn't have risked his life for someone he didn't know.

Trevor leaned back in the pile of spare hay and folded his arms behind his back, closed his eyes. His frame was aching and his limbs complaining. He would allow himself to drift into sleep as the wagon rolled along the path over all the bumps and rocks it could find.

Not that the hunter cared. He was simply at content to know that they were both alive and had come across other people in cursed surroundings such as these.

God was watching over His children after all.


	4. Mad Forest (3-1)

_Hello there everyone!_

 _Honestly, I don't want to use excuses as to why I haven't uploaded anything in so long... It's been a busy year, however, I should have delivered earlier..._

 _I want to thank you nonetheless for the kind words you have left me and believe me, each of you has made my day! ;w; I am very glad if I can make this interesting for you!_

 _Anyway! Please enjoy this next part of the story! And I hope to see you soon! :)_

* * *

~ 3-1: Mad Forest

His sleep had been so deep that Trevor couldn't be disturbed by any of the sounds around them. He was only awoken by the sunlight beaming in his face. With a low grumble, he turned on the side, but then remembered what had happened and he jolted up from his spot, looking around in panic. They were still on the caravan, still traveling. The hunter let out a weary sigh.

"Hey, look who's awake now."

The voice beside him had Trevor jump a little, seeing Grant calmed him. His companion had been bandaged up by the other soldiers. It was morbid how this was the first time that Trevor saw him without blood gushing out everywhere. The pirate leaned against the side of the wagon motionless like a puppet, but he showed him a weak smile.

"How are you doing?", Trevor asked in clear worry, the young pirate was still looking rather pale.

The other waved him off and chuckled to himself. He was obviously exhausted, but seemed to be able to deal with his wounds. "I might have had worse, I believe, don't worry about me."

"You should rest some more." The hunter squinted his eyes at him. Grant laughed some more, though that stung in his chest as he suddenly gasped for air and held his hand to his chest. No blood showed on the bandages, his fingers trying to feel if something burst.

"I seem to have gotten you badly up there."

The pirate pursed his lips in amusement and tried to hide the tingling pain, but it showed in his eyes. "Ah, nothing less to be expected from a Belmont, I guess!" Trevor was somewhat surprised that a pirate, roaming the Black Sea, knew of his family name. Yet, the young man might be around more than the coast after all.

The name didn't fall on deaf ears. With them were a few other soldiers and they peeked over to them in interest. One of them found the courage to speak up. "A Belmont? Then the captain must be right when he said that you were responsible for the destruction of the Clock Tower! You are said to have inhuman strength!" There was both fright and awe in his words and Trevor shifted in place. He would rather not talk about the events and thus only nodded at that. The soldier's eyes widened a bit. "That's amazing! You have taken down one stronghold of Lord Dracula all by yourself! It must be true what the tales say about you!" The fright was steadily wearing off and the hunter found himself a little flustered.

"Is that why you decided to take us with you?", Trevor asked instead to get away from the main topic. The soldiers looked at one another as if they needed to think about the answer.

"Possibly", said one of them with a shrug, "we are generally sent out to pick up survivors that are around the cursed Castle. We bring them to the nearest village which we defend. We are too powerless ourselves to make a big difference during these days…" He let out a weary sigh and shook his head. There was shame in their expressions, but no one was going to blame them for it. It was difficult enough to defend oneself in this place after all.

Grant showed them a bright smile despite his wounds. It had something radiating to it even in this dim wagon. "But that's exactly what people need nowadays! Far too many feel helpless to what is happening, so your work is more than necessary!" The sincerity of it all had their worries blur and they could spot faint smiles in most of their faces. To have a purpose in during this terrible Curse wasn't as easy to find as one would think after all.

At that, Trevor turned back to the pirate and let his expression become more serious than it had been before. "You should join them", he insisted and nodded as if to underline his words. The smile on Grant's lips faded at that. "You have great skills, I am sure that they would be thankful for everyone that could help them."

"Forget it, I'm not going to leave." Grant was far too stubborn for his own good. He had almost died by his own hand, but was now convinced that he owed him one for exactly that. "I have just as much reason to get to Dracula's Castle as you do." His expression darkened some more, his hatred welled up and Trevor leaned back with a sigh. Rationality wasn't exactly on the pirate's mind, he figured.

"I know, they have turned you and I know that you are furious about this, but—"

"I have to take revenge." Grant hissed with utter disgust, glanced away and began to tremble. "This devil and his minions have hunted and murdered my family." The hunter's expression softened at that. Pure revenge might not be effective enough to risk one's life once again. Another factor, something more valuable, must have had its' influence, too. Grant bit on his lower lip, gnawing on it. "I have heard so late of it, but every soul they manage to kill strengthens the Hell spawn. If I have to die from this Curse, I want it to be as I attempt to save them."

Grant was either incredibly brave at heart or just foolish. Trevor wasn't sure what to think of it. His anger could be understood, but this was blinding his sense of logic.

"Besides...", added Grant as he tried to press his anger down. He might need to control himself, he realized. It still welled underneath his voice. "You won't be able to get to the Castle from the Clock Tower now, it's destroyed. And I would think that, as someone out of exile, you're not too aware of the countryside around here."

Trevor shifted at those words. It was true and he wouldn't be able to navigate himself around the area effectively. "What's your point?", he asked nonetheless despite him already having an idea of what he was going to say. The pirate spotted exactly that thought on his face and he found his grin again.

"I know of a different tower through which we could get to it. It's not as convenient as the Clock Tower, but it's the only one left for anybody on foot to access it." After all, the Castle was surrounded by water, located in a lake. The hunter frowned a bit. In a way, he was right. The pirate held more knowledge about their surroundings... It would prove itself to be useful in his mission. Or, their mission if Grant wasn't to leave anytime soon.

Trevor made one last attempt in talking some sense into him and he watched the other intently as he did so. "You have no obligation to me. I am grateful for what you have done for me, Grant, and I won't force you to march with me."

The pirate was an emotional fellow. Trevor was left baffled by how all his fury from before sparked with determination. "You know very well that my duty hasn't been fulfilled. I can't expect you to take responsibility for that, too. I would never forgive myself if I was to stay behind just now." There was something else that burned on his tongue, it was obvious, but he pressed his lips together instead. Trevor remained silent and watched him for any uncertainty welling up, yet nothing stirred in the others' face.

Before he could even add anything else, the wagon came to a stop. They all looked up in curiosity to see that they had arrived by the village. A few women from their huts hesitated in their work to take a peek at the new visitors.

"We'll rest at Arianne's inn, she surely is happy about the company!" The commander, by the name of Roman, was relieved to have arrived. Though Grant frowned as he glanced down on his ripped jacket and pants. The bandages were around his entire torso while he raised one hand to stroke his nose and the cheeks. A rough wound had dried there a while ago and one could already tell that it would leave behind a broad scar.

"I might not look exactly presentable…", he murmured to himself. Yet, Commander Roman, the large man resembling a closet in width, patted his back wholeheartedly at which the pirate grimaced out of pain which the bearded man couldn't see. Trevor weakly smiled back at him in pity.

"I'm sure that you can get a few new things around here, but we should get a proper meal first. We need to find you a pharmacist for your wounds, too, before we talk about fashion!" Those words reminded Grant of something awfully important, it seemed. The shock was evermore present on his face as one hand searched for something in the inner pockets. His fright wore off soon as his fingers seemed to grasp an object. Then, out of another pocket, he pulled out a piece of cloth that had been sloppily drenched in red dye. Grant bound it to his lower arm for some reason. It also had been ripped off of something bigger, with all these loose strings as if the cloth had been cut out.

"Ah, it's a good thing that the Lord of Darkness and his minions don't have a lot of use for coins or similar! They take whatever they want by force after all! A pirate can always have some use for a coin or two!", he explained to Trevor. He was being watched by the hunter after all. Trevor could only hope that the money that he was possessing wasn't just as violently claimed as the tales would suggest. Then again, Trevor couldn't imagine the other being this cruel, but he merely knew him for half a night or so.

Commander Roman then gazed around his group of soldiers and his carefree smile vanished underneath the bushy beard. The hairy eyebrows bent to have his expression look ten times as terrifying. When one already thought that he couldn't get any more intimidating, he raised his booming voice to command everyone else. They had other plans for later in the day after all. "There might be other survivors out there, we have to be prepared to rescue them, too!" So they immediately got to move the wagons through the village. Most of the soldiers preferred to walk at that point, including the strange duo between them.

As many terrors as there were around all these people, the villagers tried to preserve some form of peace for their home. Or those who were now calling it their home after the soldiers were able to save them. Over time, it had become a patchwork of different village folk coming together. It could be seen in front of the simple huts and the windows. The knitting as well as the clothing were of different colors and patterns. Everyone was showing where they originated from while accepting the existence of the other.

In the end, they only had one another after all.

Some of them actually approached the marching soldiers and greeted them friendly. They were known in the village and they often heard how they were happy about seeing them alive and well.

"New visitors?" One of the maids walked alongside with one of the soldiers. By the barely existent distance between their two frames, one could assume that they were familiar with one another. The young woman peeked back over her shoulder to watch Trevor and Grant. A pleased hum fell from her lips, though nothing ever too indelicate showed in her expression. Her awe was mainly focused on the soldier anyway.

In fact, both of them had to get used to these kind of comments around there. They did rather stuck out between the soldiers that all wore similar clothing to have some sort of uniform that tied them together. Meanwhile, there was Trevor with his brown tunic and ripped cloak and Grant who was walking barefoot. It was a miracle that the cloth was even still connected by these threads. Somehow, this look was somewhat obvious to someone who called himself a pirate. Either that or Trevor had lost a bit sense of reality during those years of exile.

The hunter couldn't ponder about his knowledge anymore when they had arrived by said inn. The other villagers that had followed them around were entering it as well. This early in the morning, there weren't any people by the bar of the inn except for a plump lady that was cleaning the floor on all her four. When the soldiers entered, her dark eyes lightened up in utter joy and she forgot all the work that she had before. The lady, Trevor assumed that this had been Arianne, ran towards Commander Roman right away. She threw her arms around his neck at which he quickly responded the embrace with the same relief.

"You have been gone for so long this night, I was worried for all of you out there! What would we do without you and your brave men, Commander?", she asked with her eyes filling with tears. Commander Roman only chuckled at that and patted her shoulders in appreciation. He wanted to say something to her, probably soothe the poor woman from her woes and worries that had fallen off of her like a rock on her chest. Yet, she edged away from him to get behind the bar and pull out a bunch of plates for them to take. The commander and some of the other soldiers hasted to her to help Arianne out, telling her that they couldn't watch her do all the work by herself while some others finished up the cleaning job, though doing that rather sloppily. It was another activity that seemed to keep them sane from all that was going on around the village. Something normal and domestic, at least. Once they had all found their respective tables, Commander Roman waved the duo closer. Arianne shooed between them like a mother hen to give each of them some goat milk, cheese and old bread until Roman took hold of her arm gently to introduce them to her.

"Look at these two fine gentlemen! We have picked them up by the Clock Tower, can you believe that?" There was some pride in his voice at which both Trevor and Grant couldn't help but feel flustered, though the pirate was a lot better at hiding it.

The eyes of the inn lady grew big at that and she looked between them. "The… The Clock Tower of Untimely Death? The very same one? People have said that you couldn't even get past the first stairs without any monster trying to kill you! And they have been in there?" The shock didn't wear off. She couldn't believe his words, but the Commander nodded and his smirk grew on his lips.

Arianne crossed herself multiple times and mumbled prayers lowly, then turned to eye the duo. "That would explain why you guys are so cut up! Every time we have someone new coming to the village, I praise God for leading them to us! I'm sure that He sees a greater purpose within you." She moved over to their side and show them reassuring smiles. It seemed like she was close to pulling them between her arms and press them against her bosom affectionately. Instead, she stemmed her hands to her hips and took the offered chair that Commander Roman had pulled from under the table. Then Roman faced the duo again and his expression hardened.

"As we were leaving, some of us watched how the large shadow of a tower collapsed on itself on the horizon. The entire complex has fallen upon itself. It seems like it's thanks to you that we have one stronghold less to worry about."

The hunter glanced from the corners of his eyes to Grant who gave a weak shrug. The entire destruction happened more out of chance. Trevor had activated some kind of alarm rather than actively taking the building down. Other than "we didn't do a whole lot", Trevor couldn't mutter anymore. Neither of them were sure about the truth or how the events went down in the end.

Commander Roman leaned back in his chair, tilted it a bit as he took hold of the mug with milk. As he took a sip of it, white drops would hang in his black beard like tiny pearls and it took away a lot of the intimidation factor from before. "But you have faced the wicked Wallachian Demon, have you not? If it has survived any of it, it sure would have followed our tracks viciously. It craves blood terribly of anybody near. We haven't come across any of its' monster soldiers either... We usually are troubled by them if we got closer to the Clock Tower. Having lost their leader might have had an effect on them." The hunter could only nod at that question, but he could see how Grant paled a bit and he sunk in his chair at that mention.

In fact, it wasn't getting any better for the pirate. Commander Roman spoke about the crimes of the Wallachian Demon. Apparently, it was a less valuable kind of vampire. It had terrorized villages and towns in the area with its army to gain land for its master, Lord Dracula. The leader seemed to have witnessed parts of its' horrors before in the past, though he was often unable to be of true help. He was either too late or alone. Thus, he wasn't going to throw his life away just to seem heroic for about two seconds before the demon would have torn his limbs apart. "This… This thing is without a soul and feasted upon so many. As if it needed to compensate for the fact that it would never be filled with true life or the grace of God again. However, murderers can't be redeemed, it's the blood of the innocent on its claws that damned it. At least, the bastard vampire now rots in Hell." Roman took another sip from his mug as if he was trying to drown his memories in alcohol. Perhaps the prominent scent would block out his mind and his senses altogether.

Suddenly, Grant got back on his feet, a lot shakier than he was in the morning. His hands supported his frame by stemming them against the surface of the table. The pirate hadn't eaten or drunk a lot, his face paler and his expression spoke of pain. "I… I need to go take a rest. I'm not feeling too well…", he panted and Arianne immediately got back on her feet to support him. Trevor watched him with worry, though he could already tell that this suffering didn't only come from his physical condition. These tales were twisted enough. It had weakened his appetite and once he thought about what Grant must have been thinking all this time. He couldn't possibly imagine how awful those words must have sounded in his ears.

"Let's get you to a spare room, young man... You look sick and as pale as a ghost", the inn lady mumbled to him soothingly as he stroked his locks to calm him down. Her eyes darted to Commander Roman and for a moment, some form of fury showed on her expression. "These two have gone through quite a lot last night, it might not have been the best idea to remind them of that. Have you already called the pharmacist, we should have them get checked up." The Commander flushed red at her scolding and agreed with her shakily. Then he directed those complaints to one of the other soldiers. One of them jumped on his feet immediately out of fright and hastened outside to find said pharmacist. In the meantime, Arianne helped Grant upstairs to the guest rooms while Trevor watched them take their leave with a worried glance.

The hunter almost jumped in his seat when the Commander had smashed the mug back on the table. It trembled from the impact and he wondered how neither of those two objects had broken. "I feel sorry for the poor fellow, his memories must be haunting him. I can't blame him, the Demon was one terrifying beast of incredible brutality and speed." Roman crossed himself as if he had one memory in front of his eyes himself. "I can't imagine how you have taken it down... But on behalf of this village and all other places around the Clock Tower, I wish to thank you for your bravery. Your strength might have put an end to the raids in particular."

Again, Trevor found himself helpless towards these words. He wasn't even sure what he had accomplished and realization hadn't hit him, yet. Instead, the hunter had wanted to go upstairs as well to check on the young man, but he figured that the pirate needed some time for himself right now. After all, his well-being was just as important to the hunter as it was to his own. That realization had him left wondering for a moment. He somehow knew that, deep in his mind, Trevor had already decided to take Grant along on his quest. Not only as a guide, but also as fugitives who roamed the countryside for their duties. Also, as much as Trevor didn't want to admit it as such, he had grown somewhat fond of the pirate for his honesty and his warm smile. His death wouldn't have been fair.

Though the hunter did wonder how Grant had been able to survive the transformation. One would think that the demon completely took over him and his mind, using his body as a vessel for it to follow its own dirty deeds. Yet, once Trevor had defeated the Wallachian Demon, his human counterpart was released somehow. Trevor was more than glad to have given him another chance somehow to live his own life again. It was only through this thought process that Trevor realized how the pirate had felt thankful for it all. He merely wanted to repay him despite the fact that all of that happened by mere chance as well.

In his mind, it was already decided.  
It seemed like Trevor was going to have a companion for his mission. For them to act out the holy mission of the Lord in Heaven to save what the ruler of Hell had let loose on the world.

Half of the day had already passed after the pharmacist had arrived with his herbs and salves to take care of them. Grant had barely been awake when he was being treated. He was drained, so it seemed and the pharmacist said himself that it was a miracle that the young man was still alive. Their wounds were treated and bound up again. After that, Trevor allowed himself to take the other bed in the same room as the pirate was sleeping in. A nap should be enough to give his body some recovery. The hunter had planned to continue his quest in the evening.

"If you want both of you to crawl all over the ground and become prey for whatever is it there, then you can leave. But I'm advising you to wait at least until the next morning." That was what the pharmacist had told Trevor with a frown when the hunter had explained his plans to him. His tired eyes would look over the sleeping from of Grant who had remained on his back the entire time. His expression lightly affected by the pain of his body and cold sweat had already run down his temples. Indeed, it would have been important to continue as quickly as possible, because who knew when it would be too late to stop the Lord of Darkness. However, Trevor could also understand that, in this form, neither of them might have been strong enough to hold up against an entire army of monsters, even together. If they wanted to stand a chance against the spawn of Hell himself, they would need all of their strength that they could muster up until then.

The rest of the day had been rather uneventful, though they decided to take a bit of a walk through the village. As they did so, Trevor admitted and accepted that Grant would be allowed to go with him at which he pumped his fist in the air with a wide smile.

"Told you so! But I swear, I will try my hardest to be useful, too!" As confident as he was giving himself before, there was genuine worry as well as hope in his voice. Trevor couldn't help but smile at that. He patted his shoulder carefully and the nervous chuckling of the pirate ceased.

"I'm sure that you will be of great help either way", Trevor replied gently. It has been a long time ago since he was feeling comfortable around someone else like that. Being able to call this person more than someone that he knew, it was almost strange. "Though now, I guess you can get something more comfortable. Whatever you're supposed to be wearing right now, it won't be enough", he added with his smile turning to a smirk. Grant pouted playfully at those words.

"Oh, look who's trying to make a fashion statement here! Mister 'I wear brown all day, everyday'!", the pirate sneered back and squared his shoulders, then he pointed at his own face. "Though, what do you say? This makes me look rather intimidating, doesn't it? Some pirates do have nicknames, perhaps I'll just call myself…". Grant lowered his hand and gave it a thought. His gaze trailed off before it snapped back up at Trevor again, his eyes shining. "How about 'Grant, the nasty'! Sounds pretty dangerous, right?"

For a moment, Trevor waited before he would give an answer. He tried to understand whether this was supposed to be a joke or not. Yet, as he couldn't notice anything resembling to that, he just showed him a frown and slowly shook his head.  
This time, Grant didn't fake his pouting.

With that, they had gotten their clothes fixed. At least, in Grant's case, he would have had new ones sewn for him until the next morning. He did pay by himself, though coins didn't have as much value anymore during these days. Therefore, it wasn't exactly expensive or anything, but they accepted them anyway. Once the Curse was going to pass one day, these might come in handy. Besides, helping out two handsome men out was a treat for these young women.

At least, that's what the grandmother from one of them mumbled to the duo after the girls had left to gather enough cloth to start with their work already. Trevor had taken it with a silent nod while Grant seemed to be more than okay with having the girls take interest in him. Instead, the hunter had grabbed him tightly by the neck and dragged him after himself with the pirate protesting how he had been through Hell and deserved a treat in the end.  
Again, no comment from Trevor.

In their free time, they discussed in Arianne's inn where to go next with the help of a map that they had received from Commander Roman. In the back sat the plump lady and prepared another stew for dinner from the few herbs and even fewer vegetables as well as mushrooms. The pirate let his index finger travel over the paths on the withered map many times. He was quiet as he made up a suitable route in his mind already and frankly, Trevor realized how little he had seen of his home country in his life. Some of the places that were on this map were stroke out with red coloring. The hunter could only imagine what this had meant. Same counted for some of the bridges and churches that would be usually found on the main paths.

Before he could ponder too much about what had happened during these years in Wallachia, Grant raised his voice and pointed at an area near this village. It was covered in poorly drawn trees. "We should take the road through Codrii Vlăsiei…", he mumbled as if questioning his own words. Codrii Vlăsiei was the largest forest of Wallachia. Strange enough, it meant 'the Forests of Wallachia'. It functioned as an area to hide from armies like the ones from the Ottoman Empire or to avoid falling into the hands of justice as a criminal.

Yet, due to the mysterious events happening over the few months, the villagers have come to call it the 'Mad Forest' instead. It was nothing worth bragging about or a territory that they could claim and control. The inhabitants had found a way to live right next to something as dangerous as this. They believed if they were to stay and not bother any creature that was hiding in the forest, they wouldn't be having any trouble.

"They said that, months ago, demons had kidnapped the children of this village... And others. We believe it is for some form of sacrifice or ritual in the night. It depends on the moon phases, considering how the kidnapping occurred towards the end of the month. The souls of children are free from sin and thus pure", Commander Roman mumbled as he watched from the side as he sharpened his sword. Trevor gave his words a thought, he hadn't seen many children around. In fact, he couldn't remember a single one other than maybe three toddlers. The Lord of Darkness fed from the souls that had been reaped for him. It would make sense to kidnap children just for this purpose. They didn't have any other powers or potential to be in the way otherwise.

Grant let his finger wander over the path that lead through the woods. It stopped at another town on the map that hasn't been crossed out. "Well, we could head for that town as our next destination. From there, we could take a ship and see if that can carry us nearer without having to walk all the way there." This town was by a river and it did show that it had a harbor in use. Though the hunter wondered if they even used it anymore... He could imagine how monsters inhabited the water just the same. The pirate had finally glanced up from the map again to watch the other to see whether he accepted his plan. Yet, all he could spot was doubt and suspicion. "I know, what you're thinking. Once we arrive there, we might as well find everything destroyed. There's always that possibility, too. But, it's the only other nearest goal we can have to get closer to Dracula's Castle." Then it was Trevor who studied the map some more. They had moved from the Castle quite a lot since they were picked up from the Clock Tower. With horses in a caravan, it had taken almost an entire day to get there and it was without any disturbances. The Codrii Vlăsiei would lead them even further away actually. The most direct path towards the second tower was out in the open without any shelter or places to find rest. Even if they were determined, this was a plan close to suicide. More so than the actual mission already was.

Commander Roman let his sword lean against the table and approached them with both worry and disbelief. "You can't be serious. You can't think of getting through Codrii Vlăsiei, it's far too dangerous out there! No one has ever found their way back since they went on the searches for the children!"

Arianne placed the knife down with which she was chopping up the mushrooms into the tiniest of pieces. Her face held no expression, but one could tell by her eyes that she was only tired at this point. "All this time, I have watched brave men such as you venture out on their different quests. I have never seen any of their faces again." She let out a weary sigh and returned to her work. "I can only pray that they have somehow managed to get through and not have found their deaths in this forest. Too cruel of a fate to disappear between the trees without anybody knowing of you anymore... As if you never existed." The inn lady shuddered at the mere thought. To die without a final resting place. It was too cruel for the victim and everyone knowing them who would never be able to put an end to their sorrow. Arianne had met and got to know so many that each of them seemed to have left a carving in her chest. The fact that the inn lady was able to smile through the day wholeheartedly showed great inner strength and hope.

Silence fell over them and no one dared to raise their voice. Only the dull clicking of the kitchen knife dicing the mushrooms resounded. Trevor was the first that made a move. He carefully shoved back the chair as if the sound would disturb their ears. Then the hunter edged closer to Arianne and took her by her arm which prevented her from continuing her work. Under his palm, he could feel how much she was trembling. Once Arianne raised her eyes to meet his, she saw both determination and kindness in his expression.

"These days, nothing is safe or sacred anymore. These monsters will not stop until they have consumed all life that can be found in this world." There was the same firmness in his voice as it was in his blue eyes. A rattling sigh came from Arianne and she nodded weakly. His smile grew, some of Grant's bright attitude had left an impression on him. "Besides, we seem to have survived the Clock Tower of Untimely Death. Got in, have fought and stumbled out alive. Sounds promising so far, doesn't it?" It had the effect that the hunter had wished for, a weak smile curled on her lips and soon were parted by a soft chuckle. Trevor pulled his hand back as he had registered how she had calmed herself down. "We'll come to visit you again even if we make it through the forest. After all, we'll need to repay you for your generosity."

Arianne waved him off with a blush covering her cheeks. "If I can help anyone in their travels during these nightmarish times, I am more than glad. I just wish to—"

"You're too warmhearted for your own good, Arianne!" Roman didn't let her finish her sentence anymore. His bright laughter drowned every other word on her mind. Softness was in his gaze nonetheless as he leaned back to turn to her. "But it's great to witness. Please, never change!" This brought a worse blush to her cheeks and Arianne showed him her back instead with the cutting board now on her lap.

The heavy atmosphere of what might be coming was still hanging in the air. Yet, they had to focus on what was right and good in the world. Celebrating life when their enemies wanted to see them in despair. It was as if they were spitting in their faces with their own joy and friendship that they were sharing with one another. Together with the other soldiers, they started to have their dinner. Some villagers had come by to enjoy the company as well, some even playing music for their amusement.

There was a lot of laughter and happiness found in that evening. Not even the darkness of the night could have left them frightened of what was about to come. Honestly, it was almost like they had forgotten about it. However, both Trevor and Grant were aware that they couldn't celebrate all night. They would need to get out of bed as soon as the sun would rise in the sky again to make their way to the forest. It didn't seem like in the pirate's nature to leave a party so early, but he was reasonable enough to know that they would need every hour of rest that they could get. Commander Roman was somewhat saddened when the two of them had announced that they would go to bed already, but he wasn't going to stop them. After all, their wounds would need to heal properly if they were to do anything the next day.

Quite frankly, Trevor didn't sleep well that night. Could have been the noises from downstairs or the images of his dreams which he forgot in the morning. With a groan, the hunter sat up and rubbed his temple. The silence of the early morning was pleasant to his ears while his muscles trembled and tingled with slight pain. Yet, he chose to ignore it. No point in dwelling in this sensation.

As he turned to see if Grant was still in bed, he found the sheets empty and he raised his eyebrows in confusion. The young man did carry worse wounds than him, a lot of them. One would think that he'd sleep more than that. Though Trevor wondered if that wasn't just something that Grant did usually. After all, he had woken up during their ride on the caravan before the hunter did, too.

Just as he had been thinking about the others' traits, the door opened and the pirate entered. With two plates in both his hands and two mugs resting on his lower arms. Grant kept the perfect balance as he handled the pottery and joined his side. Also, there was a sack strapped to his back, though that he didn't need to balance, luckily. Trevor hastened to him to take everything from him before he would drop anything, but Grant only laughed at his gestures. The objects that he had carried were not more than trembling lightly after all. Once Trevor had taken both the plate and the mug from one arm, Grant used the now free hand to place the other two objects down without breaking a sweat. He pulled the sack from his body to let it drop on the floor. By the sound of it, these were most likely the new clothes that the young seamstresses had sewn for them.

"Arianne said that we should get a proper meal before we leave for our mission!", Grant explained with his usual carefree smile and knelt down to the floor. They didn't have a table to share their breakfast with, so the floor it was. The breakfast consisted of the same ingredients as the day before, the rests of it. Trevor wasn't going to complain. Food was hard to come by. It was more than what most people had, so he broke the bread in two pieces and placed some of the goat cheese over one of them.

"How are you holding up?", Trevor asked instead out of worry and curiosity. He did see how the pirate was trying to cover up some of his pain in front of him. Trevor was still fearing that this quest was bringing more harm to the pirate than anything. However, Trevor knew that the young man was too stubborn. To start another argument was pointless and Trevor knew that much.

Grant took a sip from the milk first and bit into the cheese afterwards. He chewed a bit and swallowed part of it before he was able to show him a smirk again. "I'm doing just fine! Better than yesterday!" That much was obvious. Trevor was about to scold him for being this careless, but Grant already waved him off immediately and added: "I am recovering well! My muscles aren't aching as much anymore, I feel rather energized and motivated, too! So nothing for you to keep overthinking about!"

Again, Trevor couldn't say if Grant was this confident naturally or if he was an incredible airhead. It was one of those character traits that Trevor might need to get used to before he was able to let the pirate roam around freely without having to worry about his safety. Perhaps, he would need to see him in battle before arguing about it.

Trevor let his gaze wander over to the sack filled with clothes. His frown only darkened. "When did you wake up to pick those up? I would imagine that you'd like to sleep a lot, being a pirate and all…"

Grant didn't wake up this early last morning, though he was sure that the other was already awake when he had risen from his own sleep.

The pirate pursed his lips in amusement and shifted in place to fold his legs underneath him to get in a more comfortable position. "Now that makes me sound like that I'm lazy beyond belief!", he exclaimed in a playful matter and he placed his food back in the plate as he leaned back. "I don't know, I was never that good at sleeping in, except if I was sick or had drunk too much the other night…. Then again, sometimes I still wake up before dawn and I will be confronted with my head hurting as I turn in bed in hopes to fall asleep again…." The pirate let out a weary sigh and shook his head at the memory. "I guess, it's just something that I do. I hope that it doesn't bother you, great Vampire Hunter", Grant added in a more mocking tone and the hunter scoffed at those words.

"If one of us is getting up early, then we're in good hands."

Grant let that comment slide as it was with a content smile. They finished their breakfast in peace before they rummaged in the sack for the clothes. The pirate got rid of his old ones and pulled over the dark green shirt and put on the wine red pair of pants. They were somewhat tight around his calves, but the pirate was fine with that. After all, he was soon distracted by the new blue jacket that he had received. "With inside pockets, too! Man, they sure thought of everything!" Grant was more than pleased to move the tiny leather bags of his old jacket to the new one. A piece of jewelry came into sight that had Trevor rather curious.

"A necklace? Why aren't you wearing it?" The pirate flinched at the mention of it. His hand, which held unto the necklace, made a movement as if about to hide away the existence of it all, but then he held it out with a weak smile. It was a silver necklace with a gem at the end of it. It was in light blue and held little elements within it as if it was a drop straight out of the ocean with tiny sand particles shimmering and algae along in deep green. Surely, this necklace was of a special kind of value and not only in coins, but also of personal connection for the other. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep it this close to himself.

"It's not exactly the most useful piece of jewelry to wear when you do parkour. I always have to be afraid that it would slip from my neck at every jump. It would just smack me in the face and frankly, I'm not up for that, so I keep it tugged in my jacket."

This was only half the truth and Trevor knew that, but he wasn't going to push him about it. After all, his words made sense and he didn't lie to him. If it was something that he was uncomfortable talking about, he wouldn't force anything for no reason other than his curiosity. They didn't know one another for that long, he couldn't expect to have won his whole trust. Grant didn't comment on this either and let the necklace slip into his inner pocket again. Then he took the red piece of cloth from his lower arm and bound it over his head like a bandana to keep his hair away from dangling in his face.

The hunter's cloak had been fixed and he got a new tunic for him to wear if the old one didn't serve its purpose anymore. For all of this to be done, every seamstress in the village had to be working until the deepest night. Trevor thought about seeing them again and thanking them for their work. Once they had prepared properly and cleaned up the room, they moved downstairs where Arianne was already waiting for them with little packages. Naturally, the motherly lady couldn't keep from giving them something for along the way. She wouldn't listen to their protests, so they tugged the bags to their belts instead and embraced her with words of gratitude. It was all worth it to see her blush again under the praise as she waved them off with a giggle. That smile of hers made her look younger, it was heartwarming to witness.

Commander Roman was by the door, too, along with some other soldiers that had waited for them to wish them luck for their journey. Of course, they had something prepared for them, too. The leather bags were filled with objects of practical use, like bandages and herbs for their wounds and a set of daggers. As Grant had reached into his inner pockets to pay them for these objects, the commander wouldn't let him do so. Roman placed his hands to each of their shoulders.

"The only repayment that you have to fulfill is you staying alive. You can be wherever you want for all I care, but I'd want to know that you are save."

Trevor had to take a deep breath to keep his posture steady and return the gaze with the same confidence as Roman did. "Same counts for you and your men. Please, stay save as well." There was a certain softness to his words and Commander Roman could only nod at that. His own expression softened just the same before he let them go.

Some of the other villagers looked after them as they had left. They hadn't gotten to know these men, but if the soldiers had trusted them, there had to be something good about them, too. Not that any of them raised their voices to do more than greeting. Some others even wished them luck, but it was more under their breaths than anything else.

"Once we've saved Wallachia, they'll be all over us, I'll tell you that…", grumbled Grant at the reactions of the villagers. It was a contrast to the joyful smile he would throw at them if he happened to cross gazes with them. When he turned back to look at Trevor, that smile was gone. "People are like that, they change moods quicker than the sea their tides." The pirate shrugged at his own words. He didn't seem to enjoy the truth, but it was something that he had gotten used to over the years. After all, how much recognition could a fugitive get anyway?

The sun hung low when they had arrived by the Codrii Vlăsiei. It wasn't a long march from the village, so they still had enough time on their hands. The duo was awestruck as their eyes glanced over the trees. There were so many before them, it was as if they were standing in front of a giant army. As light as it was outside, they could barely make out what was in the forest after a set of trees. It was an assortment of fall colors on the crowns and the ground covered with the leaves.

Grant let out a low sigh, his expression held something pensive as he spoke. "There is something peaceful about this, wouldn't you say? It's almost strange to me to think how the evil hordes are hiding in there. Locking up and sacrificing children in this spot."

The hunter only glanced at him for a moment before he gave an answer. "Nothing is as it seems anymore these days, so we shouldn't let our guard down. They didn't call this the 'Mad Forest' for nothing", he replied firmly and marched forward without looking twice at Grant. He only watched him take a few steps, then followed up and drew one dagger to get himself ready for whatever could jump at them.

At first, this entire situation didn't seem as bad as expected. The sound of a few birds reached their ears. Here and there rustled a bush, but it were little animals that escaped from one hideout to another. The further they had gotten on the path, the darker their surroundings became. All the trees around them sucked away the light, the leaves becoming evermore dark. Taller and taller they grew, a misty realm was forming before their eyes. They began to lose track of time and the path wasn't clear anymore, because grass was grew over it. Barely anyone crossed the woods these days.

It was somewhat further up when something else reached their ears. Clicking and cracking in various ways. Their steps slowed down and their eyes wandered over the scenery. Between all this green, it wasn't difficult to spot two skeletons leaning against a tree.  
The pirate didn't wait to take action. One dagger swirled in his right hand before it was flung towards one of them. The precision was perfect, the blade piercing through the temple and into the tree. This fiend burst into dust and the other skeleton staggered back in shock. Though before it could even draw its' sword, Trevor had pulverized this foe the same with his Holy Whip. The duo stopped in place, listening if there was anything else. But silence fell over them again and they continued after Grant had pulled out the dagger out of the tree trunk.

From this point on, they were more cautious about their surroundings. The birds' singing was decreasing by the moment and soon enough, they were surrounded by the dark. From the corners of his eyes, Trevor noticed something glowing. He turned immediately to face this source and in the next second, a feathered creature charged towards him. It would have dug its' giant claws into his face if it wasn't for Grant who had blocked that attack with a slash of his dagger. The bird flew away in fright and the hunter was able to take a better look at the creature.

"I-I have never seen such big owls!", he exclaimed before he took another breath. He had felt his heart jump in his chest from the shock and his hand was stiff around his belt. "Thank you nonetheless."

"Don't thank me this early…" Grant frowned at his words, then pointed with the dagger around them. A couple pairs of eyes were glaring at them from between the trees and Trevor shuddered from the sight. So many of them, but they didn't dare to attack just yet, sometimes their eyes would disappear. Between the cracks from the tree branches underneath them, the owls chimed in. Never would the hunter have thought how eerie the sound could echo between the trees. The owls would wait for a fitting moment to attack them, so they had to be ready for every air strike. Once they came close enough to their respective area, they would attack from above. Luckily, none of this strategy changed, so it was easy for them to figure it out and avoid injury. However, if the owls wouldn't be hit, the duo had to stop in their tracks. The creatures would come right back for them until they would be taken down or once the two of them escaped the territory.  
They had done this game for a while with one or two skeletons thrown into the mix. Once more, they were the least of Trevor's problems and Grant proved himself just as capable against them.

The more steps they took, the more their muscles ached and grew heavier. Cold air crept in, crawling underneath their skin. It didn't help that the path was starting to go up, needing to walk up a hill first. Between their feet, Trevor felt mist slowly rolling in and covered the ground like a blanket, dulling the colors of the leaves just a bit.

Usually, the fog wasn't as present in the woods as it was outside in the field. It must have been quite a strong one then if it managed to enter the Codrii Vlăsiei through all the layers of trees. In actuality, their space cleared up a bit from the trees as if someone or something had gotten rid of them. It almost felt unnatural and they were out in the open.

More rustling from the trees and bushes. Grant held his dagger close to him as his head snapped around in hopes to spot something. "These definitely aren't birds anymore."

Trevor rolled his eyes at his words. "Obviously." That was the only answer that he was willing to give to him, but the pirate glared at him for that. Wasn't his fault if the other pointed out the obvious facts, was it?

Before Grant could even start some sort of playful argument between them, a couple of monsters jumped in front of their feet. Their form resembled humans almost. Though their backs were crooked, forcing them to bend over, and their faces distorted as if they had been burned. It was a group of hunch bags; that was what their appearance reminded Trevor of. The creatures didn't seem to care about their fate and jumped from all four in place. Sometimes backing off, other times jumping closer to the duo which kept them at bay with their weapons. They were especially cumbersome and quick. Nothing too much of a challenge for Grant who was swift himself, but Trevor found himself cursing under his breath whenever his whip would crack through the air instead. Their laughs were mocking, little clicks and the hunch bags jumped up high to sit on the branches.

"Honestly, I had hoped to not meet any of these. These demons are everywhere and they drive me nuts, I swear…" Grant glanced up at them in disgust, but he wouldn't throw a dagger after them. They were ready to dodge anything at that point. Trevor frowned just the same as he watched the creatures and returned the gazes. Yet, they remained in place. Some of them actually jumped along from above and threw rotten fruit at them, often missing. Their deformed hands weren't helping a lot in their task, they were only supposed to claw at them.

"It seems that the presence of the Vampire Killer keeps them back", Trevor mumbled more to himself than to the other who pursed his lips in interest as he glanced at the holy whip.

"Believe me, these creatures don't fear us or our weapons. They don't even fear death which is why they had thrown themselves at us!", replied Grant with a wide smirk which died away just as quickly with his next words, his gaze finally directed towards them. "That must mean that we have something far more dangerous ahead. But let's just hope that those are the weak types of hunch bags…"

Unfortunately, Grant's wishes weren't met at all. His frightful assumption soon became reality when their feet didn't crunch through the leaves. There was even something sticky to the ground, though it was covered from the fog, so it was hard to make out at first. As soon as they would be able to peek through the mist, it all became clear.

Spider web. Thin layers of it everywhere. The further they had gotten, the more it spread. And not only over the ground, but up the tree trunks and crowns, strings dangling from above. Not a single enemy from before had shown their face in this area and it could be understood why.

"Spider nests. Great. Just what we needed." The pirate huffed out of irritation while the hunter left this without comment. Instead, they focused on everything around them. Little spiders crawled all over the place, but nothing too unsettling.

Instead, it was the next few moments that had their stomachs twist in disgust. By the tree trunks, they would spot thicker balls which hung there, completely covered in web. But some of the older constructions revealed what was inside of these cocoons. The lifeless faces of so many human victims stared back at them mercilessly. Most of their flesh nibbled away from their bones and the rest had rotted. Flies had taken the place of the spiders and jumped all over and inside the corpses if they weren't foolish enough to get tangled in the webs, too. It almost seemed like a plan to feed the regular spiders with the flies. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the tree trunks that were decorated with the bodies of any traveler. Smaller ones dangled down as well and it wasn't hard to guess what kind of victims they had made. Sometimes, bony hands stuck out from the sides as if they had made one last attempt to free themselves before they suffocated in these cocoons by having hundreds of small insects crawl down their throats, eating them up slowly from the inside.

Those images had Trevor shake his head. His frame shivered from the imaginary sensation. It was as if those tiny spiders had somehow found a way on his back and under his tunic, making him shift. The pirate noticed his discomfort. He, most likely, shared the same thoughts. Thus, he decided not to mock him for his reactions and instead rubbed his back soothingly as if to chase these imaginary spiders away.

More crawling.

The two of them jumped in place at the sound.

This time, it was much more obvious than with the regular animals. It was above them, something greater using the crowns to move swiftly and hide away from their sights. However, it wasn't the duo that took up the main attention of... Whatever was above them at the moment, but something further ahead. Despite of all the disgust and insecurity building up in their chests, they decided to follow. It didn't take long until they had reached a cave in those woods. It was just as much covered in spider web and cocoons with dead people stuffed in there. Clearly, they wouldn't move a muscle anymore as half of their heads were bitten off already. Now that the creatures finally showed themselves, they were able to spot gigantic hairy spiders with a human each in their mouths, hurrying inside the cave. The rock beside the cave almost looked like a door that had been taken out of the opening. Yet, none of the monsters bothered to close the door behind them. They weren't exactly born with any sense of morals after all.

"Is this part of the path that we need to take to get to the next town?", asked Trevor in a low voice, fearing that the spiders would hear him somehow as they spoke.

Grant, apparently, wasn't as sure either about their hearing abilities and returned the question with a whisper: "Not that I know of. We have gotten away from the main path most likely, but it is hard to tell with the mist and the spider web…" He could only tell by the ground. The path would feel harder and more robust than the rest, though that could be deceiving now through the web.

Despite this explanation, the hunter approached the cave with careful steps anyway. He listened in to what was going on inside while the other sat back to watch their surroundings.  
It was faint, very faint, but Trevor believed to hear something resembling humans.

That alone had him turn to Grant and he gestured him to join his side. At first, the pirate hesitated, but then gave in and hurried over. Trevor stopped him with one arm and placed his palm to his ear to have him mimic this gesture.

After a few moments of dreaded silence, concentrating hard on what was coming from the cave, Trevor finally decided to raise his voice again: "Crying." That was all he would dare to say, but it was exactly what he had thought to hear. Someone or even more were crying.

The pirate glanced up at him and pressed his lips together. There was another line on his tongue that he had wanted to pass on to the hunter just to state his thoughts, but he realized that maybe that would waste his breath and make too much noise.

"Spider queen." Grant nodded towards the cave and Trevor gave that a thought. It would make sense if the spiders were to carry their prey inside when they could have just as easily chosen another tree to hang them up on and feast on their flesh that way. Therefore, something bigger had to be in the cave. "Or eggs." Many, many eggs for giant spiders like those to feed and take care of them. "Possibly both." That was the last add to his comment and Grant paled significantly at the thought.

But if it was to feed anything in there, how could they still hear faint crying? Either that or the spiders were playing around with their prey until it became tired and gave up to their fate. However, spiders didn't exactly seem like the most playful type to them.

In all honesty, Trevor didn't like the sound of his own words. "We have to get in there." As much as everything within himself protested against marching into an infested spider cave, he knew deep down that every life deserves to be saved. Up until now, they haven't come across any single living soul.

Grant must have seen the glint in his eyes. There was no protest coming from him either even if he frowned as he gazed back at all the spider web surrounding the cave. Then he watched his environment and edged closer to a tree to break off a thick branch. "I'm sure that there's no light in there", he mumbled to the hunter as he walked back to his side and nudged Trevor's oil lamp with his elbow. "So if we're too much in trouble, we can burn the entire cave down by lightening this!" The pirate held up his stick, then buckled it to his belt. Trevor did as he suggested and turned on the oil lamp for them before they took a breath and stepped inside.

Every movement echoed in these high walls of the cave. Their steps, now ever so sticky against the spider webs, gave their position away because of the echo. Every other spider was doing just the same, so one could call it even. Actually, this should have given the duo some sense of security, but it was the opposite. Whenever something was getting closer, they've found their legs paralyzed. Their eyes stared towards the pitch black path of the cave. However, what gave them further strength was the fact that they hadn't misheard the crying. The echo was clearing this up more and more.

Children. That was the sound of children sobbing and crying. If there was just one bit of hope to save some of the children that had been abducted from their homes, then Trevor would have had the courage to chase the most hideous monsters with the wish to eradicate them.

In his blinding task, Trevor lost his sense of hearing. He didn't even care anymore, but it was Grant who brought him back to reality. From the ceiling above them dropped one of the massive spiders, the pirate took hold of Trevor's arm and pulled him back roughly. The creature had wanted to crush the hunter with its own weight. As it figured that this task held no fruit, it turned in place to face the two of them. Its' body covered the path in front of them completely, and they couldn't pass it by running past it.

"You should stop losing yourself in your thoughts, I won't be able to save you all the time!" Despite the panic expanding in his grey eyes, Grant couldn't help but joke around, though half-meaning it.

"I can't do all the work myself", he replied with a weak smirk before both of them had to turn their attention to the spider in front of them. It didn't really want to have to do anything with their conversation.

From its' mouth, the monster spat out a light green liquid. Both knew better to avoid touching it, dodging the attack. When it came in contact with the web instead, it sizzled it all away and left behind a clean spot. Neither of them waited a moment longer to attack. Trevor's whip had the beast hiss and edge away as it kept spewing out more of the bubbling acid. One dagger to its' head had more of the acid spray out of the wound, though the spider itself was immune to the destructive effect.

But as simple as it was to battle one spider, the echoing of the struggle wasn't without consequences. From all over, they could make out the crawling of other spiders. Trevor cursed under his breath and yelled to Grant that they should rush deeper into the cave before the other monsters would find their way to them. With the Vampire Killer, he lashed out at the legs of the spider. The beast had to give in to the sudden bolts of pain and found itself confused when both humans jumped from two different sides over and under these legs. The time it needed to turn around was too long for it to reach them with its gooey spit and the wound to severe for it to muster up the strength to haste after them.

Not that this was a problem. The spider was aware of its' companions. They would be able to handle two mere humans and then they would feast on their flesh. In anticipation, it looked after them and let its' body plummet to the ground.

In the middle of all their panic, the duo had realized in what kind of trouble they had gotten themselves into.

This was the main nest of the spiders. They were clearly outnumbered to those beasts that were born and raised from this spot on. With that being said, they didn't turn on their heels and escaped right away. Instead, they tried to keep their breathing down and listen for anything around them. Between all the crawling and slithering of the spiders in that cave, the sounds of the crying children was getting louder. At some point, the sound was becoming so unbearable through the echo that the hunter felt numb pain in his ears. Perhaps the actual children weren't as noisy. There was quite a lot of whimpering as well, they were so close to hold their hands over their ears to block the sound.

With a groan, Trevor gazed around them. Their steps were quick to avoid any new contact with another spider. Of course, they were all over the place trying to find the source of disturbance. However, the crying was some form of shield to them as the monsters couldn't make out their position through sound anymore. All of a sudden, one foot was sinking in the ground. Trevor pulled it back with a surprised gasp and his eyes tried to make out what the cause was.

A hole in the ground, it was covered in multiple webs. Grant stepped around it and his jaw dropped. Before he could say anything for sure, he knelt down and held his ear close to the web, then his expression darkened and he pulled out another dagger.

"Help me to cut this down." That was all the explanation he would give for now. Trevor followed his example without questioning. He had enough trust in the pirate to know that he wasn't going to make him do this for no good reason. So he pulled out a dagger himself and began piercing the blade into the web which was much harder than he had expected. The material was thick and had hardened over time, it seemed. Both of them groaned under the work, just moving in a circle was difficult, having to jerk the daggers from side to side to get it to move an inch or two. Half-way through, Grant pulled the blade out again. Not that the next task was any easier, but he took hold of the cut web nonetheless. The hunter understood immediately and imitated the action. Together, they moved back on their feet to slowly rip of the rest of the web from the hole it was covering.

Trevor let the light of the oil lamp illuminate the inside of the cave.  
At last, the cowering frames of a group of children came into sight. They all glanced up in pure terror and curiosity, all huddled together in their prison. Their cheeks were sunken in, none of them of a healthy color in their faces. It were hunger and pure fright that kept these children from collapsing on the spot. The fact that they were seeing two people again, however, had them calm down a bit from their pitiful whimpers.

The pirate smiled to himself in content at that sight no matter how depressing it was. Because the walls of the hole were pretty steep, it was him who climbed down. Naturally, out of fright, the children backed off and Grant held up his hands in defense. "Don't worry, we're not here to harm any of you!" He spoke in a soft tone and he showed them a smile just as soft which had the group stop whimpering so loudly, at least. At that, the young man knelt down to his knees to be on one level with them. As frightening as he could look with this fresh scar across his face, his expression held more warmth than Trevor could recall ever seeing on a person's lips. "You must missing home a lot, huh?" In all honesty, Trevor wouldn't have expected the other to sound so sincere when he talked to a bunch of frightened children. All of his honesty sipped through without restraint. The children stopped backing up. The pirate pointed up to Trevor, then opened his arms. "And guess what? We have come all this way to find you here!" Apparently, the children were starting to trust Grant and his words. Some even dared to approach him to take a closer look at him and Trevor up above them. The hunter paid them no mind as he glanced around to make sure that no spider was passing through right now. "We can take you with us and get you out of this scary forest!" Something on his expression hardened though, his tone becoming more serious. After all, this situation required more care than anything else if they were to have children tag along with them. A group of 13 tiny people in need, in fact, where the oldest child might have been eleven and the youngest a five year old. "But you will have to listen to everything I or the other nice man tell you to, understood?"  
Silence finally made way for the soft whimpering and the oldest child, a ginger girl with pigtails and freckles all over her face, walked up to him with a straight face. She gazed up, then looked back at the others and shifted on her feet. Somehow, most children gave their agreement to that. Many bawled that they wanted to get out of here and needed to be home with their families. It was hurtful to hear them whimper like that, especially since no one could tell if any of their family members was still alive or not.

Before the pirate could ponder too much about that subject, he picked up the ginger girl and wrapped his arm around her chest. His other hand took hold of the wall to heave him up until his feet found a solid foundation to take her back in his two hands. Then he lifted her up towards Trevor who pulled her up to his side. That procedure continued with the other children who, more or less, depending on each one individually, protested against this kind of treatment or got frightened which motivated Grant only to be quicker to have them as little in the air as possible. To hold up a kicking child while standing up against a wall wasn't exactly the safest place.

Last, but not least, the pirate crawled out of the hole to face the hunter surrounded by an army of terrified children. "Look, you stay together. Hold hands if you need to. Trevor is going up in the front while I stay at the back of you to make sure that nothing is getting to you!" There was enough confidence in his words for everyone and Trevor found himself agreeing on it. On the one hand, he was the one with the oil lamp. On the other hand, if they were to face the spiders, his whip would keep them in place while Grant could shoo the kids around the danger. Since they didn't have any better idea, the children assorted themselves and found someone else to hold hands with. So the march began towards the exit. Many of them would squeak or gasp at every single sound, but the duo found the patience within themselves to tolerate this. After all, they had been just as nervous only moments ago. Besides, they would lie if they said that they weren't nervous right then, too.

However, the fact that the crying had ceased, had their sound barrier melt away. Now the creatures would detect every crack around them and they followed it without any hesitation. Trevor paraded up front, his cone of light revealed the ground, sides and ceiling before them. It unraveled the dark until it would hit the shaky, hairy legs of a spider. Then the head, the burning eyes and the twitching body behind it.

It wasn't only one. It was two—No, three other spiders that had followed their path!

Of course, the children screamed out of the top of their lungs. Trevor stepped back, forcing them to do the same as Grant stayed close behind to make sure that none of them was going to escape out of pure terror. Besides, they were sure that the yelling was going to attract more of these demons. It wasn't exactly helpful to have them around, though that was to be expected. Needless to say, they were kids. Not that it kept Grant from glaring at them for a second before realizing just as much.

All that Trevor could do properly was to keep off the beasts with the whip, though he was unable to stop them from spitting acid. It forced the pirate to command the children backwards, but not without flinging a dagger or two.

"You'll have to run past!", yelled the hunter out of frustration as the whip snapped at one of the spiders. It staggered backwards from the impact.

It didn't take the other a second to come up with a prompt complaint. "What?! Are you insane?! What if there are more of those? We'll have to run together!" But once they'd escape, the three spiders would haste after them and possible new foes could be right ahead. Yet, defeating each of them would be impossible. Not without risking the lives of the children. The hunter gritted his teeth in despair and glanced back over his shoulder to watch them for a second.

Another few strikes of the whip to keep the beasts in place. "You said something about burning this place down, remember?" To feel a smirk on his lips was somewhat weird in this situation. He couldn't deny that the thought of ridding these spiders with some fire was more than satisfying imagine. After all, fighting them was a much more tiresome idea. Needless to say, a ludicrous idea, too.

The pirate returned the smirk just the same, but the children weren't exactly comfortable with it. Therefore, he turned his gaze towards them as he spoke to them in a firm manner. "We will get out of here, understood? You won't run away from us or the group in general!" Not that they were sure about his words, but most of them realized that there was no other choice than to listen to Grant. With that, the hunter let the Vampire Killer answer. He pushed the spiders back, but his attacks were more aimed towards their legs to make them immobile. As soon as the monsters figured out that plan, they scuttled around quicker, yet much more uncoordinated. This caused them to collide into one another and it was easier for both Trevor and Grant to hit their marks.

Without waiting a second longer, both of them chased the children down the cave between the three spiders that were trying to get the hang of it and untangle their legs. Until that was accomplished, their group had already left them behind.

As expected, more enemies waited along the way. Some more and sometimes it was less, but the duo handled them as they could until a few of the younger children were getting out of breath. The pirate didn't hesitate to pick up two of them and lift them in his arms while he would ask another one to climb his back. The hunter let one tired child climb his back as well, though he was the one who would need his hands free for the moment. Even the older kids themselves tried to be of help for the others, knowing that they couldn't leave one of them behind in this place. Trevor could feel how the young boy was pressing against his back and his tiny hands clutched to his tunic in pure despair. Somehow, as much as the kid was being an extra weight, it give him more motivation just the same. His body was a shield to an innocent person and being a protector to many more. It was as if exactly that had him come to Wallachia in the first place: to be able to protect those who needed him the most as he carried out the mission of God. For those, this world was worth saving, no matter what a bunch of other people thought of him or his family name.

This wasn't the time to ponder about his place or fate though. With newfound determination, Trevor and Grant moved their way through the cave. They kept the children with the pirate where he would direct them into different corners and throw his daggers at those spiders that aimed at their group with the acid. Most of the monsters would direct their attention to Trevor though. He seemed to be a much easier target all alone with a child strapped to his back.

That was the first mistake that the spiders had done: underestimating what Trevor was capable of. The second one was to do the same with Grant with his aiming skills that were extraordinary, blocking the mouths of the spiders with his blades. Naturally, none of that could actually kill these creatures. Neither of them had unlimited strength or daggers for that matter, so their main goal was to get out of the cave. The quicker, the better. Especially for the kids that were slowly getting out of breath,but their fright had been frozen and their screaming ceased. They were beginning to trust the two men that had saved them from their prison and as they were becoming aware of their capabilities, the hope for rescue was greater than their fear of being consumed.

When their eyes finally caught sight of the end of the cave, they first spotted how the fog was gone and had made way for heavy rain. The sound of raindrops hitting the spider webs reached their ears, they were so massive. One glance was thrown back behind them where another group of five spiders was chasing them down.

"Trevor, give me the oil lamp!", Grant called out as he slowed his steps and lowered the three children to the ground. He shooed them towards Trevor which they promptly did despite their helpless whimpering, then he held out his hand to receive the lamp. "I'll light the stick from earlier while you and the rest get out of here! With the rock on the outside of the cave, we might be able to close this place up for good while it burns!" Since they only had mere seconds until the beasts were to arrive on the spot, Trevor wasn't given enough time to think about this properly. So he followed his words and handed over the lamp and picking up two other kids in his arms which were about to fall over. With that, he commanded them roughly to reach outside while the pirate did as he had said and lighted the stick. While the spiders came closer, Grant waved the flame around to have the spider web catch on fire. The flames attached themselves to the walls and climbed them up as smoke emerged as well. As light as it was becoming, the ashes and smoke were making it hard to see the giant hairy bodies of the spiders. However, the pirate only needed to drop the burning stick to the ground and turn on his heels and run. The fire kept the attackers off and he could hear them let out frustrated hisses. They'd spit at the ground to extinguish the fire, but the flames were spreading quick. No matter what they did, the creatures were soon covered in flames as well.

Trevor had already placed the children down and hastened to the rock to stem his arms and body against it. The object moved inch by inch and the hunter trusted that Grant was quick enough to get out. As the rock edged closer to the opening and began to cover half of it, the pirate dashed outside. He was panting heavily, though he didn't wait another second after another deep breath and joined Trevor's side to help him with the task. The son of Belmont sure held incredible strength, he could have done this by himself. Some of those rumors about him and his family must have been true after all. Not that this was of particular importance right now, they were glad for every ounce of power they could get. Even some of the older kids were shoving themselves between them to get a hand on the rock as well. Their shoving proved to be successful, not covering all of the opening, but enough to not have anything of the size of this spider pass through. There would be air to feed the flames further while it was pouring outside, too. The faint sounds of thunder was reaching their ears and as the task was done. They gazed at the shaking children with a tired, yet content smile.

"See? We've almost made it! We all have to stay strong now, it isn't long until we should be out of the forest!" Grant was more than relieved to see how they all made it out okay and alive despite the mutual shock that they were having from this encounter. This wasn't going to leave them with nightmares and scares in their minds, but better than to end up as a snack. Trevor opened his cloak to have some of the kids hide under the cloth to protect them from the rain. Not all fitted, but the pirate was generous enough as well to take off his jacket and let the rest use it as a shield by holding it over their heads.

Taking a break would actually be essential soon. All this running had drained somewhat of their energy. The kids complained to one another in low voices how their feet hurt or how hungry they were, but stopping in these part of the woods was asking for trouble. Grant had to explain more than once how they were coming to an end of the Codrii Vlăsiei as the trees were starting to become scarcer than before.

Trevor let his eyes wander. Indeed, they were leaving behind the deepest part of the woods. The rain found their way through the leaves easier, drenching them all. His long mane was clinging to the sides of his face and his shoulders, his clothes becoming heavy on him. Needless to say, his feet swam in his boots by now, too.

In the distance, they could spot a form of abandoned estate. At least, that was what the ruins would tell them. Broken pillars and statues and what used to be a garden had become part of the forest.

As unsettling as it was, this was probably the safest place to find around.

Not difficult, Trevor thought to himself, anything would be safer than the cave at this point.


	5. Mad Forest (3-2)

Well, this certainly has taken some time... I'm sorry for the long wait! I have another couple of chapters written so far, but didn't get around to edit them with uni being busy and all...

But I am glad to see that you guys enjoy it nonetheless! :) Thank you so much, really, I appreciate it!

I will try to get to the next chapter quicker, I promise...

Anyway! Have fun and I'll see you around! :)

* * *

~3-2: Mad Forest

In fact, they were getting closer to some kind of estate as the trees were getting more dense. Here, ruins of destroyed buildings and a couple of statues along the path greeted them. As it cleared, the group spotted the black clouds in the distance, the wind now free to take hold of them with its' cold. It was only a matter of time until the storm would arrive to meet them.

When they arrived, they noticed how many of those statutes looked frightening real. Their facial expressions were distorted from terror, if they could even spot a face. Many were missing their heads or their expressions were smashed. In fact, most of the marble statues were broken, some were missing a limb or half of the entire statue was torn off. Needless to say, the group held their breaths as they felt like they were being watched. They were unable to glance away from the fearful expressions, shuddering at the sight. The children couldn't even muster more than whimpers and nervous mumbling.

Then, heavy footsteps filled the silence. The sound echoed between the ruins and statues. How giant feet crunched the ground, slick and muddy.

The hunter narrowed his eyes and glanced down at the children that had marched with him under his cloak. What a sight, a vampire hunter with a couple of children hiding around him. "We will have to have you wait in one of those ruins." That way, they wouldn't be standing in the rain while the storm was rolling over them. Also not be the most obvious target if the monster, whatever it was, turned around the corner. As long as they didn't make noise, that was. Yet, before they were going to face the sound of footsteps from the right side, one of the kids pulled out the silver necklace out of the inner pocket of Grant's jacket and held it up in awe. The pirate, however, wasn't exactly pleased to see this. He took hold of it with one swift motion at which the young boy didn't seem to understand what happened until he saw it dangling from the man's neck.

"No toying with what's in there, okay? I will count everything afterwards and if I find one single piece missing, I'll take you back to the spider cave!" There was something threatening in his voice, the children backed off a bit at the glint in his sharp eyes. Even Trevor was about to tell him to back off, but somehow, he could only press his lips together and wave him to his side. At least, he wasn't going to take the jacket away altogether in his anger. The children were freezing already and Trevor left behind his coat as well just in case. Unfortunately, they decided against creating a fire for them to warm up. It could have attracted any kind of monster with the light. Also, children weren't the most careful individuals, so leaving them unsupervised with flames wouldn't have been the best idea either. As much as the kids didn't like being alone, they would be able to find comfort in the company of each other. Thus, they were obedient to their words, because after all, they had no others to trust. Anything was better than the horrors they had seen before. The two hunters accompanied them to a smaller ruin where they could cower in a corner under a roof. Not that they were safe from the wind, there were creaks all over and half of the roof had collapsed. This was as safe as it was going to get.

Trevor glanced at the group of children, edging close to keep warm. There was something akin to pity in his gaze and his voice was softer than he had expected when he spoke up: "We'll get back to you once we know that the path is clear. Stay here and try to not make noise. No matter what happens, we won't leave you behind." As much as they might have expected anyway.

That thought alone had Trevor sigh to himself out of frustration. This affected him way more than it should have. Being abandoned in the middle of danger with no one around you. The hunter shook this sensation off, this wasn't what they needed right now. If it wasn't for the two of them to succeed, who else would?

With that, they left the children on their own, following the source of the footsteps.

Their path lead them to some sort of garden of the estate. There had been high bushes in this place, useful for hiding. More statues were scattered, more and more of them broken. It was a surprise to find two or three that were intact. Someone must have had a fun time distorting the frightened figures. After passing another statues and a dry fountain, the source of footsteps came into sight:

It was a giant, hunched over. Its' skin held a sickly blue tone and the ears were long and pointy. There was no hair on its' head which was looking quite sharp just as the ears did. All it wore was a piece of dirty cloth around its broad hips while one heavy hammer hung over its' shoulder. When they drew closer, the creature stopped in its' tracks and turned. Trevor found himself surprised to see a single, massive eye on the face of the giant. The thick fangs stood out of the mouth, not fitting in it at all and were out in all their yellow glory. The giant let out a battle cry and drummed its' meaty fists against its' chest which was as muscly as the rest of it. When Trevor got hold of his Vampire Killer to whip at the giant's legs, the tip was repelled by the bare skin as if hitting rock scales.

"It's a Cyclops!", Grant explained with his expression darkening. His daggers flipped between his fingers from growing panic. The sight of the monster taking hold of the hammer, which it had to clasp between its' two hands, was worrying. "So the real weakness is its' only eye!" The name of the monster did sound vaguely familiar to the hunter. Trevor believed to have heard about it somewhere, though he would have get back to that later. There were more pressing matters. Because the creature bent to its' knees and charged at them in high speed, more than expected. The duo split to avoid the charge and as the hammer hit the ground, it was hard enough for both of them to feel the vibration under their feet.

Hitting a small target on a monster's face wasn't the easiest task. The hammer was a large weapon that would keep them off for quite a distance. Even Grant's accuracy was coming to some limit. The Cyclops could see the attack coming more often than not. It blocked it off with a wave of its' hand, the skin immune to the sharp blade. And when they get closer, it triggered the monster to charge at them. It took that chance more often with the hunter than with the other since Trevor was slower. It was either the charge or the hammer that forced them to dance around the monster. Yet, none of this was getting them any closer to slaying the Cyclops and neither did it get a chance to smash them. This could have gone through the entire night until one of the sides gave up. Chances were that the two companions would first find themselves crushed, though. By then, the storm arrived which made it all worse for them. The cold rain had them all more sluggish, the ground hard to get a grip on. At least, the two of them weren't the only ones with that problem, so their dance merely got sloppier.

By rolling under the hammer as it rose, Trevor joined the pirate's side. Trevor took hold of his arm and his strength alone was enough to keep him in place. "Look, he's coming for me! Use this as a distraction to get closer to the Cyclops and hit him right where it hurts!" As there wasn't any time to wait for an appropriate answer, Trevor let go off Grant and dashed off. The desired effect took place right away: The Cyclops targeted him and forgot about the second person running around. With its' hammer, it swung at Trevor and every time it missed, the ground would shake from the strength. The hunter fought with his balance, forcing him to jump to avoid getting stunned. Yet, this made it difficult for Grant to sneak up on the creature. Not that the pirate couldn't keep up with the creature, far from it. But if he was too close when the Cyclops remembered his presence, he would be smashed into pieces by either a fist or hammer. Thus, the hunter planned to approach it enough for it to be confident to use its' only weapon against him. Trevor jumped before the hammer hit the ground, leading and avoiding it.

Being the hunted one was tiring and Trevor found himself being sluggish. From the corners of his eyes, he could spot Grant hasting to the back, his feet swift above the ground to create as little sound as possible. That moment was enough distraction for the hunter to miss the timing when he was supposed to jump. As much as he could avoid the rather predictable attack, the shock had his legs tremble and stuck to the ground. With one fist raised, the Cyclops planned to squish him, but before it could even rush it down to Trevor who, recovered right then, the pirate jumped on the back of the monster. He clutched to the bulging muscles as if he was going to die once he was to let go and, in some way, that was true. In blind rage, the Cyclops dropped the hammer. The weight alone caused the ground to shake some more. It used both of its' hands to reach behind himself and get a hold of the pirate that climbed up the , the arms of the creature were too think to reach behind itself. Much to its' dismay, it had to realize how Grant had reached its' shoulders and stood upon them with his feet. One hand grasped a meaty skin fold on its' forehead while he fought to remain balance. With a long dagger in his other hand, Grant pierced the eye with one strong push. He forced the blade in further and further, slicing through until the metal was buried inside. Black blood spurted from the wound, the hilt and his fingers getting soaked. Some of it had sprinkled the pirate's face and chest, too, but he was stubborn. The iris broke from the impact, blood streamed down its' face. The eye began to swell even worse than before as if it was about to pop from the beast's skull. It was disgusting to watch how it staggered around, screeching from pain. Trevor could feel his stomach twist at the sight, how the single eye was turned into mush. His ears rung from the wretched sounds that the Cyclops let out, but Grant was unmoved by any of this. Not even when his hands were completely soaked with the sticky blood, the stench so close to his nose. His hands shook from forcing it to stay inside the sensitive flesh, pulling it up and down and from side to side to rip the wound wider. The eye socket couldn't be recognized anymore at this point.

It was until the pirate decided that it was enough and slipped the blade back out of the wound. The dagger had blocked some of the blood flow, but now it spurted in streams. Roars were coming from the Cyclops that was flailing and staggering around, but the movement died out. Grant jumped from its' shoulders before it collapsed on the ground with a thud. As Trevor approached the groaning pile of muscles, its' eye lazily pushed out blood and created a pool that was watered down by the rain. Something plump dropped from it and the hunter recognized it as an orb. With a piece of cloth, he rubbed it clean from the blood and Grant couldn't help his curiosity and edged to his side.

"Any idea what that is?", he asked while his eyes couldn't tear away from the wine red color that shimmered dimly. Trevor noticed the wobbly fog within the crystal.

"I can only make my guesses… Not sure though. It's full of energy, so I'd rather take them with me than leaving them here before any other servant of Lord Dracula can pick this up and use it against us", Trevor responded and gave a light shrug before he slipped it in the leather bag along with the other orbs. As much as this wasn't any kind of answer that left Grant satisfied, he could understand Trevor's motives and wouldn't bother him. Besides, both were far too exhausted to mind right now, having survived and all. Instead, the hunter showed him a weak smile, an hint of triumph behind it. "Now that the main threat of the woods seems to be gone, we should be able to pass through. Get the kids and find the next town, correct?"

The pirate couldn't even give an answer to this anymore when a bright light blinded them for a mere second. It resembled lightening, though the thunder was faint like before. Light dots danced in front of their eyes still, keeping them dazed. There was another soft thud on the ground, then many other gentler ones as if pieces were falling into the mud. Only by a frustrated, pained groan followed after that. They were able to tell that someone might have fallen afterwards, too. When their eyes allowed them to see again, they spotted a cloaked figure between them. This person held his head as if suffering an headache, his face in shadow because of his hood. Around this person were many pieces of marble and it was then that they had realized that there had been a statue in this spot. None of them had paid any particular attention to it during the fight, of course.

"Good Sir, are you doing okay?" Grant approached the man who resembled a priest with this type of robe. The light blue color was strange... The companions could only think that it might have something to do with where he was from. Then again, the cloth was stained quite a lot to even make out the color.

The priest, however, was somewhat distraught to see the black blood on the pirate. He stumbled back, disoriented and confused, terror in the half-hidden features. Once he noticed how both of them were no threat and were as human as he was, he allowed his frame to relax and his shoulders sagged down. "Thanks for… Helping me." His voice was breathless as if the priest had ran a marathon. Then he glanced down at his hands in pure disbelief and didn't notice the silence that had befallen them for a while. Slowly, the priest lifted his gaze to meet theirs. "I'm Father Cypher, a-a priest sent out by the church to rid this land of the Lord of Darkness." Despite all the shock that shimmered in the green eyes, Father Cypher knew that they could have harmed him if they wanted. Thus, he better be honest before one of them decided to take action in form of violence. It was almost confusing to see that, Grant remembered how troubled he had been when he was freed from his demonic form. Perhaps the others' mind wasn't as troubled, being stuck and in some form of sleep.

"Then what happened to you?" Trevor narrowed his eyes at the cloaked figure who shifted in place. It was as if he still needed to get used to the fact that his entire frame wasn't stone anymore. The pirate suggested that they should return to the children and continue the chat on the way. They would need to check on the poor tiny brats and start a fire so that they won't freeze to death.

Father Cypher glanced between them in surprise. "Children? You have found children here?" His voice was faint and his cheeks paled. Both the hunter and pirate threw one another a confused glance before Grant answered:

"Yes, we have found them imprisoned in a cave of spiders. A group of 13 actually." He nodded to himself as if trying to remember if he had counted them correctly. The priest let out a shaking breath and they could see a shiver run through him.

"W-When I had first come here and wandered the path to find abducted children of the village…". It was as if the memory alone brought terror to his heart. His eyes hung in the air as the images of the past events came to his sight in front of him. The priest spoke of how a source of light had drawn him closer to a glade. It was an unnatural campfire, the flames flickering orange to light blue. Around it a couple of monsters, skeletons, werewolves and a Medusa. "A female looking creature of Greek mythology with a snake body and instead of hair, it has snakes. When one looks at its' face, it turns you into stone", he explained with a weak smile when Trevor's expression showed confusion. It was somewhat surprising that the pirate seemed to understand. Perhaps he came along Greece on his travels, who knew.

Father Cypher kept telling his tale. Around the campfire weren't only monsters, but there had been dancing children also. It was as if they had been in trance, their movement fluent and coordinated. Their bodies stripped naked for everyone to see how symbols were carved into their flesh. Content smiles plastered on their faces, blood dripped from them. Their eyes had been pecked out, only dark red holes stared back at Father Cypher when he had hidden behind bushes to watch this horrifying scene. Some of the demons had danced along between them while the skeletons used drums. The skin used for them was too light to be of any cow and the priest had preferred not to think about it much longer.

"Then, each child jumped into the flames. One after another." Pure horror reflected in those words. "They smiled. They smiled so much and yet they screeched in pain. The flames feasted on their skin and flesh until they collapsed and… Became part of the pile. Every next child stood with its' naked feet on the burning flesh of the other, shifting and jumping as if dancing while the screams pierced my ears." His voice was starting to tremble terribly. Just as much as the priest hadn't been able to look away from the scene, the duo couldn't tear their eyes away from the other while he spoke of the horrors. The priest shook himself in the next moment to clear his mind to not be frozen by the images that were burnt into his mind.

This children sacrifice had ended with the demons cheering along and the drumming becoming wilder to accompany them to death. Father Cypher had stumbled back from the sudden dread taking hold of his heart and the movement alerted the creatures near his hideout. The Medusa ordered for the priest to be caught and slithered after him, too. Father Cypher found the strength to escape from the horde. After all, he couldn't fight an entire group of them. One against an army? The result might not be favorable for him. Fleeing into the woods proved itself to be more effective than anything else.

The Medusa had chased him down to the garden of the estate where he was taken by surprise by the Cyclops. In shock, he turned around to avoid that creature, too. Yet, as he had done so, he looked straight into the other demon's face and the curse worked its' magic on him.

"Everything had turned dark. It was as if I had fallen asleep." Father Cypher sighed and shook his head in shame. To be caught like this was naïve and silly. He couldn't believe that he had been so foolish to get himself hunted like a rabbit. "At least, it was painless." These words held such a bitter tone that Trevor couldn't help but feel pity for the other. It was difficult to come up with a smile after he had explained what had happened to him. Instead, he patted his back to show his sympathy.

"You did what you could do, none of us could blame you." To be fair, the hunter wasn't even sure what he would have done himself in that situation. He might have ended up the same way in the end. Though it was Grant who tilted his head and frowned.

"What I don't understand is how you were freed from that curse… I thought that once you are changed by medusa, you are dead?" Once again, Father Cypher was impressed by the pirate's knowledge of Greek mythology.

The priest did frown at that, too, and pondered about it. "Honestly, I'm not quite sure how that worked... Though I'm glad that it did. I wouldn't have wanted to end up as some sort of garden statue... God has granted me a second chance and I am more than grateful to take it!" It was good to see a faint smile on those lips, it reflected on their expressions as well.

The pirate was becoming as bright as ever and leaned in to his side a bit with a growing smirk. "Indeed, would be a true shame, this place isn't looking nice enough to be decorated with the likes of you! Besides, there are more fitting relics in churches and cathedrals all around! This would be too sad to have another one in, I suppose!"

In a way, this silly joke had the priest chuckle to himself. As strange as it was to hear someone talk about himself like that anyway. "I haven't heard your names yet, good sirs, perhaps it would be nice to share them after I had done so with mine." The duo blushed a bit at that and introduced themselves. Father Cypher, like everyone else, was surprised to hear the Belmont name drop from Trevor's lips. "I didn't even believe that one member of this clan was still alive... I have been told that exile must have killed them somehow. But then again, this wouldn't give you as much credit as you deserve with your powers..." The priest gave a subtle shrug. Trevor couldn't tell whether the other was all right with being in their group or not.

Any other discussion about this was pointless as they had arrived by the ruins. The children had cowered in a corner from the cold, protected from the rain. Their eyes lit up at the sight of them, though weary of the new person that they had with them. The soft voice and gentle manner of the priest won their trust over more quick though. The majority of the kids were sleeping at the moment, at least. The calming, safe spot gave them enough peace to take a nap. That and the exhaustion that they had went through before. One could only wonder if their dreams were pleasant.

"Unfortunately, we can't stay over here during the night...", mumbled Trevor as he took care of the campfire for them to warm up. The pirate chewed on his lower lip at those words.

"Right, we don't know whether there are still monsters around... We can't take the chance to stay and having to fight off so many when we're not by ourselves." They would need the energy to get to the town beyond the forest no matter how dark it had gotten at this point. Father Cypher frowned at this plan, but he agreed with a low voice. The children needed to get proper medical attention and a safe house to stay in. They were bound to get sick if they were to stay outside for much longer than a night. Somehow, these two would have known better than him, he figured and let them decide on what to do next. Clearly, they were adventurers and the priest couldn't say so as much himself.

They instructed the kids on how close they could get to the fire. So they gathered around the three adults without any shame and held out their hands to warm those up. The ones who haven't woken up yet were gently pulled closer without trying to disturb them. Not a second later, the children were told to take a nap as well before they would continue their march. They'd need some of the extra energy to make the final stretch. It was silent between them, the children too exhausted and scared to be as loud as they usually were. The grown-ups were caught up in their thoughts, too. The drumming of the rain and the distant thunder filled the silence and the sounds calmed their heads a bit. It was pleasing to hear how there was peace around them in a cursed environment like this. Soon enough, they were also surrounded by the sound of 13 children snoozing.

For the three of them, there wasn't much to talk about. Father Cypher once stated that he was becoming somewhat hungry. He hadn't eaten since he had left the village for the Codrii Vlăsiei, so they shared a bit of their bread with the priest. Yet, they did feel bad once they realized how the children hadn't eaten as well. The spiders most likely didn't feed them while they were stuck in the cave. Thus, the priest could only take a couple of bites before he returned half of the loaf.

"This will do until we arrive in the next town. I would wish to eat and drink something warm rather than tasteless bread." It was obvious by the empty gaze of his eyes that this was a lie. Neither of them would add anything to it, since it wouldn't change anything.

The next morning found them half asleep. Silent breakfast with the children, then a prayer instructed by Father Cypher. Not that Trevor or Grant remembered all the words. At least, the priest did in both Latin and Romanian. It was important to him that the children of God would understand after all.

The concept of time was difficult to understand while marching. That and the Codrii Vlăsiei covered an huge area. It was a miracle when the group found their way out, the sight of the countryside had become unfamiliar.

But a town! There was one in the near distance!

That gave them enough energy to pull through the last stretch to find themselves before wooden walls. If it wasn't for the children with them, the guard patrolling might not have let them in. The church in town, he said, there they should head and meet Sister Diana. There would be shelter for he children.

There wasn't a lot of life on these streets as they entered. They sure had a bunch of curious watchers that couldn't believe the sight, though. People glanced from their windows and doors, but no one raised their voice. The village from before seemed to have a greater mix of people than this place did. This townsfolk had kept itself isolated from the dangers outside being surrounded by a spiked wall. Except for the harbor which, they noticed, wasn't used at all. The small ships were kept tied to land with their sails tugged in and no others had come in.

Naturally, it was Grant who noticed this circumstance first and he frowned at that. "What a sad sight. Quite a waste to leave them there. I guess that Dracula's army has even taken over the water…"

"They are everywhere, it's spreading like an illness..." Father Cypher looked around and narrowed his eyes as if not trusting the situation. In comparison to many villages and towns around the area, they were in good shape. "It makes me wonder how the Wallachian Demon hasn't reached them, yet…"

Trevor couldn't help but glance at Grant from the corners of his eyes and saw how his expression hardened. "Because it moved west, not east. Can't be at three places at the same time." His answer was sharp, aggressive almost. Grant tried to swallow it right afterwards, especially with the priest confused by that reaction. "Luckily. Having fought against one of that kind was bad enough. Wouldn't be exactly pleasant to find out that there is another one, don't you agree?"

The hunter flinched at that and stuttered a bit before he could square his shoulders and return the glance. "Indeed. The Demon was quite a nuisance." Trevor wasn't a man of big words and especially not now. It was strange to talk about his friend that way, but Grant knew how he meant it and left it without a comment. Father Cypher, however, was evermore baffled.

"You have encountered the Wallachian Demon? And made it out alive?"

"Defeated it. In the Clock Tower. Which is a pile of rumble now, by the way." The pirate shrugged as if all of this wasn't a big deal and old news. Which it was, but being a piece of stone in the forest wasn't allowing one to get informed on what happened.

The priest blinked at them out of disbelief. Now it was his turn to be at loss of words until he could only mutter: "The curse was on me longer than I thought…"

The group found Sister Diana outside as the old nun was assisted by other ladies. Again, the sight of the children had her grow emotional and shooed them inside an house. They discovered that the nun ran an orphanage which was evermore needed these days. Their group of children approached the other with care, but neither side could be hostile. They all went through difficult times and only remembering them had them sobbing.

"Get yourselves comfortable, travelers!", she would say as she accompanied her helpers. "Lunch is almost ready anyway!"

Without being able to deny the offer, the three of them sighed and took place by the table. Exhaustion took over them, their shoulders sagged down. At least, they had enough energy to take off their cloaks and jackets. As Father Cypher did so, they noticed how soft his features were, keeping his blond hair in a ponytail. Something about his looks had them think how this job fitted to him, gentle and reassuring.

Before they could even ask the priest about it, the assistants and Sister Diana brought in pots with stew. The companions leaned back, their eyes half open from tiredness.

"I must thank you for your bravery, kind sirs", she said as she took place on another chair as well with a shaking breath. "We have believed that there was no one else around this town anymore, people usually perished when they ventured out..."

"We are surprised ourselves that we've found your town practically unharmed." Father Cypher somehow shook off his exhaustion the quickest. It put them to shame and they pulled themselves together to be able to join in on the conversation.

"You must have been lucky with the invasions", added Grant with a weak smile as if trying to cheer the old nun up. She folded her hands in her lap as if in prayer.

For a moment, she turned her gaze to the children running around in the room. Some of them were playing with broken wooden toys in the corners while others chatted. "We seem to have been rather lucky, yes... As much as we have suffered, too, I can safely say that we were given enough time to protect ourselves. We expect a second wave and... Well... I don't know if we can withstand that." Sister Diana crossed herself seven times. "For the sake of our children and for those that you have found alive in those hopeless days... I am praying that it won't happen anytime soon and that the Curse of the Lord of Darkness will be vanquished by God for we are too weak to go against the Antichrist himself." She shook her head in despair and her wrinkles now were formed by the worry which drew grim shadows to her expression.

Once again, it was the pirate that had taken the initiative, he was better at talking than the hunter or the priest. "If everything goes well, we will be able to have a hand in that!" It almost came out as a joke, but his light eyes spoke of such determination that Sister Diana wasn't able to comprehend his words.

"You… You are planning to reach the Devil's Castle and go against the Demon Lord himself?" Fright welled in this question, took hold of her rosary and crossed herself once again. Father Cypher reached out to take hold of her shoulders and showed a smile.

"It seems that God has brought us together for us to carry out this holy mission of His." His kind eyes were so confident as if believing that God had chosen them to meet.

Trevor, however, wasn't exactly pleased himself with this explanation and frowned. "You are planning to accompany us?" This wasn't supposed to be a road trip. It was bad enough that he was pulling Grant into this, he wouldn't need to put a priest in danger. The hunter crossed his arms at the gaze he received from the other, there was some form of stubbornness to it.

"Well, the Church had sent me to do the same as you planned to. So I figured that it would make sense to join you as going alone proved itself to be much more dangerous."

This made sense and the hunter cursed to himself as he realized as much. Yet, he wasn't willing to go down without a fight, so he glanced at Grant in hopes that he was better at this than he was.

Luckily, the pirate wasn't only quick on his feet. "Oh, but wouldn't you say that people like Sister Diana need you? Men of faith like you are important to those who have nothing to cling to anymore. In fact, you are more than needed, but unfortunately, there aren't many of your kind anymore to do so."

At that, Father Cypher glanced at him in silence and eyed him with care. The priest leaned back in his chair with a low sigh. "I am very well aware of this. It eats on me more often than you could imagine." His shoulders hung low and at that point, he avoided eye-contact. "I wish that I could do more. I wish that I could protect those in need and do it for everyone. Even if I know myself that it's impossible and that I'm only one, but… I wish to be strong. Powerful enough to be a protector and give the poor a sense of safety in this mess." There was something so awfully bitter to his words that Grant couldn't help but edge closer. He gave a soft pat to his shoulder at which the priest flinched, though he didn't move away from the touch.

Was this it, had Trevor lost this kind of conversation again? In a way, he couldn't ignore the wish of Father Cypher. As much as he'd like to tell himself otherwise, he was aware that the priest would march towards Dracula's Castle. Whether they were with him or not and, in the end, it would have been safer for him to be with them instead. His expression already spoke of defeat before he could even raise his voice again. "I suppose, you are the same with no home to go back to until any of this is finished?"

At once, pain and guilt rose in the priest's green eyes. It was so violent that Trevor could feel a cold shiver run down his spine as if someone poured cold water all over. There was no answer, though one wasn't needed. The hunter had his heart sink in his chest like stone, guilty himself that he had said anything to begin with.

This was why he was bad with words. Being in exile for many years did make one bad at using one's tongue after all. Not that Trevor wasn't going to take it as an excuse. He did mutter an apology under his breath at which the priest waved him off.

"It wasn't your words, it was the memory that returned to me." As soft as Father Cypher had spoken, Trevor couldn't ignore the same pain that the other wasn't able to masquerade.

As the priest did before, the young man left it without words.

"I believe, it is time for lunch."

Sister Diana had raised from her seat and glanced at the three of them and laid out the plates. With that, their conversation had ended. There wasn't much to add to it anyway and all were somewhat glad that they were interrupted like that.

They had another time to ponder about these things anyway.


	6. Anxiety

After another long wait, I finally got around to edit and upload this chapter as well!

Though I am going to thank you for those favs and comments! It means that I am doing something right after all! :) If I can keep you entertained, I am more than glad!

Now that an animation is coming out, this sure is a bit awkward... Oh well! Gotta keep going!

Have fun and see you around! :)

* * *

~ 4-1: Anxiety

Hunger. Exhaustion. Tiredness.

These were great motivators to ignore the current situation and duty. So they followed Sister Diana's advice instead and joined her and the children for lunch.

Not that the nun had a lot, but she was able to prepare a thick soup with lentils and a few herbs. Though, the taste must have gotten lost somewhere in the process, most of the meal was as tasty as it had looked. Bland and all one big paste.

Again, not that they cared.

In fact, the idea of being able to eat again was enough for them to clear their bowls. Most of the children seemed to feel the same way. Considering the situation, they weren't getting much else and this was what they were used to. Besides, the nun wouldn't allow them to get up until they had eaten a decent amount of the soup no matter the taste. Despite all the warm gestures from before, Sister Diana could be incredibly strict. Frankly, none of them wanted to feel her palm, which she raised often when she threatened the kids to behave. For one old woman to treat the children, she seemed to be doing a great job. Either that or her palm smacked them harder than they could imagine.

Provoking an old lady wasn't on their to-do list.

Once the children were done with lunch, Sister Diana instructed some of the older ones to clean the table and do the dishes later on. The guests wanted to be some form of help, though the nun didn't allow any of it and gestured them to stay in place.

"You go and get some proper rest. The three of you had done so much up until this point. You were able to survive and defend the children to bring them here, so you do deserve to take a nap, at least." Sister Diana nodded to a certain door and showed a gentle smile which had them relax a bit despite the general harsh tone. "The children will be playing for now, so you should each be able to find a bed before it's time for their naps as well." She turned to gesture towards it as if welcoming them to go and take a rest. They couldn't resist that proposal and their bodies were demanding for proper sleep, no matter what time it was. The group had marched for hours and, in the case of Trevor and Grant, they had done so almost an entire day without a break. Thus, they were more than glad to accept the nun's offer and wobbled to the room that she had nodded to after expressing words of gratitude. Their powers faded quicker than they had wanted to admit.

They didn't take their time to place their belongings on the table and flung their bags without much care. The cloaks hung on chairs, Father Cypher's staff leaned against the wall and Grant's heavy belt was spread across the table with the shiny blades presented in all their glory. The pirate was the first one to fall into bed despite the fact that the beds were intended for children, but he curled up anyway without much trouble. Trevor sat on his bed to gather his thoughts while Father Cypher had crouched to the bed and folded his hands in prayer. His eyes were closed and his lips moved to form words that no other than God could hear. By the time Trevor covered himself with a blanket, one could already make out that Grant had been asleep by his heavy breathing.

None of the two were bothered by this, their bodies easily finding their way to sleep as well and they were more than happy to rest.

Soon enough, their dreams would fade away into the dark. Silence surrounded the hunter before his consciousness allowed him to return to reality. His eyes fluttered open and he let out a bit of a groan, he was feeling too comfortable to be awake right now. Trevor sat up and rubbed the back of his head with a little yawn. He could have continued his nap without much trouble, but he figured that he couldn't sleep all the time. There was a mission that they had to take care of still. As other times before when he sat up, Grant was already up and gone. Father Cypher had woken up recently, too, and as surprised about the disappearance of the pirate as Trevor had been the first time.

"Where's Grant?",. was all the priest asked and blinked often as if that would have helped his sight before he swung himself out of bed.

Trevor shrugged sheepishly, he wasn't worried for the other when he was agile enough. "Awake and with Sister Diana or something. He usually does that." Once more, the priest looked at him in disbelief and narrowed his eyes before he gathered his belongings.

"You would expect a man like him to sleep all day, wouldn't you say?" Father Cypher tilted his head and gave his own words a thought. "Then again, I suppose that pirates need to be up early or don't get to sleep at all. Something along those lines."

Trevor followed the priest's example and got out of bed to check if everything was still in place. The hunter pulled out an old bible from one of the leather bags and opened it to find many little letters which he had placed in the middle of the book. They were all in Latin, nothing that the hunter could read properly. He did keep them though, because that was one of the few things that he had left of his mother. Before he had been sent into exile and separated from her, she had given him this bible with the letters in them, saying that he would be able to read them one day. Perhaps she had more hopes for him than it was sensible. Still, Trevor would look at the elegant handwriting and smile to himself at it. All this was neat and precise, something that she always had been after all.

"I thought that you didn't know any Latin." Trevor flinched a bit when Father Cypher spoke even if his voice had been as soft as it could be. The priest wasn't close enough to have seen the letters, but as a servant of God, he must have recognized the book as a bible.

"N-No, I don't", he began, then closed the book and tugged it away. "But I keep it anyway, I could learn it once this is all over, then I'd like to have more use for it."

"That's admirable",. Father Cypher replied with a soft, yet honest smile and allowed himself to approach him. "You must have a lot of confidence to believe that you can make it through and surviving it all." Trevor tensed at that. Of course, he was agreeing with the priest in a way. He expected to make it out okay and thought that the other two would do the same when the chances were slim. When the hunter opened his mouth to respond to that, Father Cypher continued:. "If you do happen to remain right, I could help. I would need to repay my debt to you and Grant, so I can teach you how to read and write Latin."

Trevor shifted in place and frowned at that answer. "We didn't exactly save you, since we didn't have much influence on breaking your curse or anything... You don't have to repay any of us." And he was speaking for the pirate, too, because he wasn't sure if he could trust his judgement. The other was a bit young to take proper responsibility. Not that Trevor was considered old with his 20 years of age, but he did feel a lot more mature than the pirate. Not that he could tell in all honesty, Grant was rather broad and all.

Father Cypher smiled at the humility of the other and he shook his head. "Don't worry, it is nothing. It would be an honor to help you both. Besides, a Belmont is capable of many things, so this shouldn't be too difficult for you, wouldn't you agree?" Trevor could feel how his cheeks became hot, turning red. He shook his head in denial, but the priest let out a heartfelt laugh and waved him off before passing him without giving him any other answer. Once more, the hunter knew that he had lost in this argument, much to his dismay.

Thus, he could only follow the other to the living room where one couldn't find many children. Yet, one could hear them laugh outside without any care in the world. At least, they could forget their sorrows for a while.

"My my, you guys are sleeping quite a lot!" Grant was carrying some boxes when he entered the room and showed them a bright smirk while the priest approached him with slight worry.

"Have you even rested properly? I haven't heard you when you got out of bed."

"Yes, father",. he returned in a mocking tone and his smirk grew wider before he placed the boxes down. "But that was because you were sleeping like a little Lamb of God! Wouldn't want to disturb either of you." Not that the priest was pleased with this kind of answer, but he allowed it for what it was and let it slide. Instead, he focused on the boxes on the ground and nodded to them and asked for the content. "Oh, Sister Diana said that these held some new clothes for the children. You see, an old woman can't do all the work herself, so I thought that I could make myself useful." To underline his words, he flexed his arms with a laugh as if to show off. Yet, the innocence in his smile surprised both Trevor and Father Cypher. It was almost naive to see how the pirate didn't even expect anything in return. That much had the priest return the smile with the same brightness, it had something radiating to it.

In that moment, Sister Diana shuffled in to the room and laughed a bit at the sight of the friends reunited in there. She patted the back of the pirate in gratitude. "Thank you, young man! I am glad to see that you have all rested well, but now you must be hungry and you have earned a meal!" Without waiting for any kind of answer, the old nun moved to the kettle in the back and they all grimaced a bit at the thought of eating warmed up lentil soup. Protest was useless though, they didn't have much else to eat except for the goods that they have carried. But they would have rather kept them for when they continued their journey. So lentil soup it was. They shouldn't be ungrateful either.

At that, the pirate rummaged in his belt to pull out the map and spread it over the table. Meanwhile, Father Cypher went to help Sister Diana to get the clay bowls and spoons. Trevor gazed between the two sides before he decided to join Grant and check where they would be able to cross to get closer to the Devil's Castle.

The pirate's finger moved over a certain path, though he wasn't exactly pleased how there weren't no more villages or towns to pass after this one. All seemed to have been destroyed. "It's not that I didn't expect anything else...", he mumbled to himself and shook his head in disbelief. "But I had hoped for it." His finger stopped at a drawing of a tower and he tapped it twice as if having yet to decide whether he wished to speak of it. "A small stronghold of the royal family. At least, it used to be. I would think that the demons have already infested it, too, if they have taken over every other inhabited space in the area..." His fingertip wandered over a bridge and he pursed his lips. This should be their direct way to the island where the castle was situated. Not into the castle itself, but it would get them closer.

"I'm not so sure if I wish to cross another bridge again after the last one blew up right in front of us",. added Trevor with a frown and he saw how Grant snorted at that, patting his shoulder.

"So you suggest that we swim to the Devil's Castle? I'm not sure if our good priest can even swim and I don't know if you do." The hunter blushed a bit at that. He hadn't swam a lot in the past and would fail at making such a long distance even if he tried. "And I can't make this myself, it would be a pity to leave you behind after all the traveling!" The playful wink had Trevor cough to himself to regain some of his dignity again.

"You are the navigator in this, so I trust your judgement." Besides, the hunter had no idea with his current knowledge of the country and this path seemed to make sense. The other's playfulness reflected within him a little and he allowed himself to nudge him back. "Throwing ourselves into danger, having dozens of demons against three of us. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

That was the enthusiasm that Grant was fine with and his smirk grew, this didn't need any other answer. In the end, they were of the same foolish mind. Somehow, this calmed Trevor more than anything else. That he wasn't alone in this world with this naïve belief that there could be an end to this.

Father Cypher and Sister Diana had returned with four bowls full of steaming lentil soup. The other two took the bowls from the old woman's shaking hands, her arms were almost failing under the strain. "My, you are far too good with me!" That was all she would comment to it and sat by the table while the priest moved to get her portion as well. Her tired eyes scanned the map the same and more and more worry showed in every wrinkle. Yet, she didn't dare to raise her voice and instead thanked Father Cypher when he returned with her bowl. She let her thin fingers take hold of it to let the warmth sip through them in hopes to find comfort.

The priest was the first to take hold of the spoon and take up the word as well. "It must be difficult to hear of our plans, isn't it?" He watched how the nun shifted in her chair before she was able to let go off the bowl and take hold of her spoon, too.

"Indeed. There have been enough sacrifices around, it's painful to witness and all." Sister Diana shook her head as she tried to get rid of the memories that had crept up in her mind. The ideas in her mind had her cross herself. "The days turn darker year by year. I don't even know how to comfort the children anymore. They keep asking when it'll all be over or what happened to the other children that were taken away and I... Don't know if we will be able to see an end to it all."

Trevor couldn't touch the soup and it wasn't the smell or non-existent taste that had him stay away from it. Instead, his interest was torn to what the nun knew about what had happened in Wallachia. "Monsters have raided this town, too, correct?",. he asked and Sister Diana glanced up at him for a moment to ponder about her answer.

"Correct." She took a few spoonful of the soup as if the warm liquid could prepare her for those terrible memories to return to her. "But it wasn't the monster's raid that had started the Curse. It began many years back when the Devil infected people and had forced them to become corrupted."

The three of them guessed that Sister Diana didn't have anybody to talk to about what has happened in the past. Or, at least, she didn't have anyone to trust this much to talk of what she saw in fright that the other person was as possessed as the rest.

It seemed to have began within the noble families. They had become filled with anger and insanity, going after their own relatives.

"I remember the news of a noblewoman who had gone mad after her youngest daughter was abducted by vampires." She shook her head in defeat, though she did feel pity for the woman who had lost her child that way. "She never got over her loss and then her youngest son disappeared, too. Though people have said that, in her madness, she had taken the lives of each of her children in different ways... Before she chose to use a rope around her neck in deep guilt and pain. The sins corrupted her soul so deep down that not even God could clear them." The nun crossed herself at that and held her gaze low as if in prayer for the dead children. Father Cypher joined in on that and crossed himself as well. Trevor looked between them and could only sigh. Grant, however, continued to eat as if Sister Diana hadn't told them of anything strange. The hunter raised an eyebrow at that and the pirate gave a shrug.

"I have never met a nobleman or woman that has been sane." The tone in his voice was nonchalant and Trevor wasn't sure how to take that. Grant noticed as much and added:. "And I have met quite a few in my lifetime. But maybe that comes from the fact that I'm a fugitive and they're usually not nice with those. Us being dirty and coming from filth and all." That was all the explanation that he would give, too stubborn to speak his mind. Either that or he wasn't keen on the noble folk which was also understandable. Grant was a biased individual after all.

Sister Diana pursed her lips in disapproval at that, but she wouldn't reply to any of it. She was aware of his background as well. Father Cypher glared at him in anger which had the pirate shift in his seat. Guilt showed in his expression and he swallowed a lump.

"O-Of course, it is painful to hear of these things! I am sorry", he replied with a low voice and nodded at the old nun who dared to glance up at him again.

"I'll bring some milk." That was all that she had to say about it. She disappeared to the back of the house, which lead to some sort of backyard.

With a groan, Grant let his forehead rest on the table. He didn't slip a curse due to the fact that the children around them had started coming in and playing again. Also, the pirate didn't want to be caught misbehaving by the nun. Her flat shoes shuffled back in over the wooden floor, so he sat straight up like a poster boy.

"Have you ever seen an angry nun? Believe me, that's nothing you want to experience",. he muttered to the other two while Sister Diana didn't seem to notice any of his words at all. She placed down a mug of milk in the middle before she turned to the end of the table, where all the clay mugs were kept. Then, she shoved each of those to them. Neither of them were denying the drink and poured each other some of the heavy liquid, goat milk. The smell was evident enough to recognize. Yet, all were gulping it down in a few moments. Instead of returning to the same topic, Sister Diana spoke of how the children were behaving all the time. Or how many women were assisting her and how the other villagers helped them with goods, clothes and toys.

"It's heartwarming to realize how these days bring us all together... We protect each other from the satanic spirit." What she wasn't telling was the way they treated the ones that were hiding away. But the tension in every other place like this was proof enough. People were desperate and it showed in their actions. As much as they could criticize this behavior, they could understand it and all, at least.

As Sister Diana continued to talk about this and that, the church bell was rung energetically. Her face immediately paled, the children started to scream outside and ran inside. They hid under the tables and cowered in the corners, whimpering to themselves. The trio didn't hesitate for a moment and took hold of their weapons and hasted outside. Only the priest turned to look over his shoulder and tell them to stay inside no matter what and keep all the doors and windows locked shut. Some kids escaped to other rooms while the old nun was paralyzed from fear in her seat. Yet, she was trying to calm the children that were approaching and clinging to her in blind panic.

The townsfolk had escaped the streets and into their houses and they barricaded everything they could close. The main noises and screams were coming from the harbor though. From this position, they could spot a massive ship, a construction that wasn't present before. It couldn't be overlooked and one would wonder how it even fitted in the river like that. The wood of it was in black and covered in moss while the sails were in dark grey with holes all over. It couldn't move anywhere and yet, it did go far enough to reach the harbor of this town.

The foes were demonic creatures that had jumped off board to terrorize the townsfolk. Furthermore, they pushed back the few guards that were doing their best to protect their surroundings. With his staff in his hand, Father Cypher raised it and swung it in the air. A flame lashed out of the thick end and shot towards the skeletons that were prancing around a peasant and his daughter. That hit was enough to get rid of the foes with one go. The victims looked up in gratitude at the priest, the peasant took the girl and pulled her along as they ran for shelter.

"Woah!",. exclaimed Grant in utter and honest surprise. He looked between the ashes of those skeletons, Father Cypher and his staff. "I didn't know that the servants of God could actually do that!"

The priest smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes. "They don't. It's something that I acquired for myself to defend myself and those around me with the power of the elements." Not that the church was exactly pleased by this behavior, but they accepted it as something legit. So he could perform it anywhere he wanted. Good to know. Perhaps the church accepted because it wasn't dark magic and it was of help to them. They could use all the help after all.

"We'll have to force them back to where they came from." Trevor didn't feel like finding out what other powers Father Cypher seemed to have. This wasn't of importance right now as long as they could profit from it. "We have to surround them to have them all gathered by the harbor, then we can get rid of them effectively." With the Vampire Killer in his right hand, he used it to point at different directions. "I'll take the middle path while Father Cypher goes to assist the soldiers on the left path. Grant takes the right one to collect some other townspeople that haven't made it to their homes in time." With his elemental magic, the priest would be able to keep the monsters in check. Meanwhile, the pirate was quick and strong enough to pick most people up over a short distance. Also, his daggers would keep the demons at bay until he could force them further back to their ship.

Neither questioned these tactics and hastened over to their sides immediately with their weapons at hand. Trevor could feel a proud smirk curl on his lips.

It seemed like he was getting some sort of team. Everything had fallen into place, so naturally that he didn't even mind to have them around. In a quick prayer to God, he thanked Him that he was blessed with two companions that he could travel with. And, did he dare to say it, could call his first friends in so long.

But this was no time to become sentimental.

The boat had spawned other creatures than skeletons, too. Somehow, the foes had spread like disease over town. There were also fish-like monsters around with arms and legs, spitting water with such intensity that it could knock people off their feet. With a lash of his whip, they were defeated without much trouble. Not exactly sturdy, but they were in such a big number that they were having trouble keeping track of them and all. They jumped out of the water of the river and clung to the ground, pulled themselves up and ran for the first victim they could see. With some holy water and daggers, they could be kept in a specific area and he began to instruct the soldiers, too. After all, they were having trouble staying coordinated and were glad for the directions. With their swords and axes, they should have been able to keep the monsters in place while others could be able to attack and knock them out. Yet, the most effective weapon was still in Trevor's hands.

Meanwhile, Father Cypher seemed to be doing a decent job as the sea creatures flooded the streets from the left. Soon enough, Trevor spotted bolts of ice flying their way. The icicles pierced through their scales without any problem though. The priest lead a small group of other guards and sent them towards the harbor as Trevor had said before. All those men were willing to listen to the holy man who impressed them with his powers. Oh, any other woman with powers would have faced execution instead, what an irony. A painful sting caused his chest to clench, but Trevor ignored the sensation and instead continued to fight.

It took Grant a bit longer to join them in, he had been busy with helping out the other townsfolk before he had found his way back to the harbor. He was with less people than Father Cypher, but active nonetheless. As quick on his feet as always.

When the monsters had found themselves in trouble, a horn was sounded from the ship. Many tiny ghostly figures stood on deck and waved them to board the construction again. The soldiers were already cheering and lifting their tired arms in celebration. Yet the only one who found this situation to be more than troubling was Father Cypher. His green eyes followed a shadow that was moving below the deck and his frame shook with fright.

"That was the Medusa",. he mumbled in realization and glanced between his two companions in terror. "It makes me wonder why it doesn't come out to help them, but praise God that it doesn't." Instead, the sails were opened and readied to leave the harbor. Any other ship would have remained in the harbor at that state, it was ridiculous to even imagine it move. Yet the heavy ship didn't take more than a moment to edge away from the harbor. Meanwhile, the monsters jumped on board, most of the fish beasts swam along with the ship. One could guess that this many fish-men were the reason why this ship was moving forward somehow.

The priest pushed his shoulders back in defiance and marched towards the harbor. "I'm going." That was all he muttered and the two companions glanced at one another in surprise and disbelief.

"You can't go all by yourself! Didn't go well the last time, did it?" Grant didn't have much trouble keeping up with Father Cypher while Trevor did have to sprint in the beginning. The outfit was too heavy to keep the pace. Then again, the robe and cloak of the priest must have had a certain weight, too.

"I have unfinished business with this creature and we can't let them escape like that either. They will come back another time once we are gone! You do realize that, too, don't you?",. Father Cypher hissed in anger, they backed off for a second before joining his side again. They weren't quite used to that side of his.

"And you want to go alone?",. added Trevor and earned a frustrated glare from the priest which had him press his lips together.

"I'm not going to stay behind and let you do all the work. I am devoted to defeat the Lord of Darkness myself! If you join me on my way or not, I don't care."

"This isn't even the way we need to go! You must be insane to want to go up there all by yourself!" The pirate's protest was pointless, he could have talked to a wall and would get the same answer. Besides, Trevor could have told him how climbing the Clock Tower on his own hadn't been the best strategy either, so he shouldn't talk. Though the hunter had started his mission all by himself, too. In the end, they were all hopeless fools in need of someone to smack some sense into them.

Instead of someone getting in their way and telling them to return to Sister Diana, they were all heading towards the Ghost Ship. The skeletons hadn't pulled back the plank, yet, thus this was their only opening. Jumping on board was not too difficult. Most of the demons had fled under deck which was exactly where they could access the ship. It seemed like none of the demons cared about a lock on their trap doors.

How convenient.

They stumbled back and forth on the creaking planks, having to get used to the dim lights. Grant stepped around with caution, his foot testing out the wood. "It's only by dark powers that this ship hasn't fallen apart...", he mumbled with a frown, allowing his gaze to wander. Trevor stomped forward without hesitation while the priest followed with quick steps. But the pirate was correct in his assumption, the ship was falling apart almost. Broken stairs and ladders, the floors littered with holes and cracks. Every time the wind pushed the massive construction forward on its watery path, everything around them ached.

"It was Medusa that turned you into stone, yes?", Grant asked when he was by Cypher's side. The priest frowned, but nodded. He didn't wish to recall those memories as they weren't exactly pleasant.

"The demon must have fled when you defeated the Cyclops."

"To deliver the message to its' Lord that someone killed his creation." Grant made it sound quite dramatic. When one platform ended, he jumped to the other with ease. The Hunter followed him without hesitation. The escape out of the Clock Tower has taught him quite a few skills and had taken his fears from height.

"Lord Dracula knows already for sure",. Trevor murmured and looked back only to see Father Cypher shift in place, his cloaked face paled. Of course, the priest didn't feel quite as comfortable with jumping as them.

Grant edged closer to the edge and raised his voice. "Take a running start and trust in God as you always do!" The pirate stemmed his hands on his hips, his tone was mischievous. Father Cypher frowned, though considered his words, since there was no other way to cross. As Grant was aware of the other's fears, he stomped on the planks with force. "It's stable enough, it won't break!" His voice switched to genuine so fast that it had the two companions surprised. Without finding an answer, Cypher did as told and stepped back to get running. The jump was long enough, but the landing wasn't too elegant. He almost tripped over his own feet, though the other two held him upright. "There we go! A few more times and you'll be as graceful as a swan!" The joyful demeanor - and the fact that he didn't tumble to his doom - brought a relieved smile to his face. Yet, if performing parkour was the most difficult part of their mission, he would have been freed from worry.

The monsters that had hidden from them were creeping back in slow motion. Now that they were shielded from the sun and among their own territory, their bloodied courage returned to them. The first two foes were resembling the skeletons, though they clutched their heads under their arms instead of keeping them on. Neither were they exposing their bones and rotten flesh, ripped cloth served as clothing. Whether those belonged to their victims or not couldn't be said. The jaws of the skulls clicked in excitement and the two foes jumped forward with their sables. The Holy Whip was immediately in Trevor's hand and Grant flipped his daggers between his fingers as Father Cypher stood back with his staff. Trevor cracked his whip at one foe, the skull smacked away from the arm and the creature staggered in place only to fall off the plank. The other monster dashed around back and forward quicker, daring the pirate to test his aim. While the skeleton feet shuffled across the wood, the priest decided that he has had enough and summoned ice to envelop the skeleton. For the joy of it, Grant dashed towards it to clash against the bony structure and the impact threw it off with intensity.

"That's impressive!", said Grant as he rubbed his right arm which he had used against the enemy. Warmth tingled back underneath his skin, the ice had left a cool air around it. "You don't happen to be able to use your powers at all times?" If Father Cypher could, he might have been a lot further on his path to Dracula's Castle. Either that or he had been taken by surprise by the Medusa.

The group continued on without lingering in the spot. Since the monsters were aware of their existence now, they should get going. Getting from one side of the ship to the other should help, the Medusa would be at the captain's cabin. Getting there was another story.

There were more than enough enemies for them to find. The entire former crew, so it seemed, was kidnapped and contorted through dark magic to become the skeleton warriors. Otherwise, they couldn't explain how the ship held so many foes. As soon as the idea crossed that these monsters were once human, it slowed their reactions. It had them hesitate. For Grant, it wasn't that big of a problem after all, his reflexes were extraordinary and he dodged attacks well. But Trevor and Father Cypher were having trouble, though the hunter was of a more robust stature that assisted the defense.

A group of five skeleton warriors had blocked their path to a door, aggressive to defend their dominion. From the corners of his eyes, Trevor could spot another creature, but was soon distracted by the sables that an enemy swung in front of his face. His whip cracked in the air to keep them at bay while Grant chugged daggers at them. In the meanwhile, Father Cypher prepared another spell before swinging his staff to summon flames, slashing through the air like claws. Two of the skeletons were taken by surprise and turned into ashes, only leaving their weapons and rubble behind.

"What the—?!" Grant jumped back in place and bumped into the priest who gasped and was about to complain. Yet, the two of them grew silent for a second as a skull, engulfed in blue fire, had dashed down right where the pirate had been standing. Without waiting for any kind of explanation, his hand flipped another long dagger and split the demonic spirit in two somehow.

Trevor soon joined their side without intending to do so by being pushed back by the remaining three foes. The Vampire Killer was swung in anger and it snatched off the head of an enemy, leaving it collapsing on its' own. Another slash by a dagger here, a thump by the staff there; being one more fighter on their side sure was helpful. While the remaining two skeletons jumped back and forth, a shrill scream deafened their ears. Another couple of flamed spirits decided not to attack them, but to join in on the ear piercing sounds and clatter their teeth.

"What is that?", groaned the hunter in irritation who was so close to cover his ears with both hands.

Father Cypher glanced up at them and lifted a hand in hopes to shoot fireballs at them. "Some kind of alarm, I assume?" Only going by how it echoed in the entire inside of the ship, one could think that anybody could have heard. One screaming skull after another was eliminated by the priest.

"Then we won't have much time!" Grant frowned further from the sound, resisting the urge of covering the ears the same. Neither of his companions could tell how, though it was always impressive to see how blades were flipped between his fingers and never cutting skin. At least, not his own. The pirate dashed past Trevor to tackle the first one. Then, the other arm tried to lash out at the second enemy, but not quite making it. Luckily, Trevor wasn't one to sit back and wait, so he assisted him right away. At the same time, Father Cypher noticed the effect that the alarm had on them. Another group of skeletons rushed in from behind while above them, another couple of spirits had spawned to join in on the fun.

"This is enough!", the priest growled before he focused once more. With open arms, he summoned a wall of ice before them to stop the arriving group from reaching them. Father Cypher turned to see how the duo handled the enemies with ease now, so he quickened his steps. "Let's get going before my defense crumbles." One could already hear how the skeletons were slashing their swords against the ice as if trying to carve a hole into it to slip through. "It will only last so long." The priest didn't have to tell them twice and the group charged through the door. They found themselves in a room with a couple of hook ladders that could either lead them further up or down the ship. Considering that the skeletons were crowding the planks above them, their group figured to climb the ladder down. Grant going first, because he was sliding it down, then Trevor and then the priest. Because of their clothing, pretty much.

Before either of them had made it to the bottom – and it was a steep way down, they must have been getting to a center in the belly of the ship of some sorts – the pirate was already chasing a skeleton around. The area was small enough for him to handle it, not more than a light cut on the arm.

Strangely enough, this area only offered one door. It was locked anyway and no key was laying around. While Grant was already bending down on his knees to rummage in his pockets to find tools to pickpocket it, Father Cypher stepped forward and pointed at the lock with his index finger. He swirled it in the air before a string of ice emerged from the fingertip and hit the lock which was frozen in a second. Then the priest took his staff, smashed it against the lock and the metal burst into tiny pieces, startling the two companions with the noise.

There was almost something calm to his expression when he faced them. "Problem solved."

Well, that was true.

Not exactly what was to be expected from a servant of God, but sometimes, the end justified the means.

Without hesitation, Father Cypher opened the door and gestured for them to step in as if he was inviting them.

Not that this gesture could be kept up for long. In the next second, a blade passed the priest's nose by an inch and it had them stumble in place. But when they glanced into the room, expecting yet another army of monsters trying to take them down, their eyes were met with the dull shine of gold. The group had to look twice to register the pile of treasure. Tons of coins from all over, pearl necklaces. Mixed in with all sorts of emeralds, sapphires and rubies along with a couple of massive rings. It had something alluring to it with its' shimmer, reflecting the light of the torches. Yet, in the next second, they spotted two figures which they wouldn't have expected to see in this place:

Two sailors. Not transformed, but still in a pretty bad shape. Their clothes were torn, skin slashed that enough blood had gushed out of their limbs and tainted the treasure. Their faces were in an alarming grey, deep shadows gracing their expressions. Yet, what revealed to them that the sailors were still alive was the fact that their eyes were open and very much staring at them. Needless to say, they were draped in front of the treasure and hostile towards their arrival. Their shaking hands had taken hold of the exotic swords from the treasure, but they could only get on their feet with trouble.

Father Cypher was the first one to react and lifted his hands in defense. "Do not be afraid. We aren't your enemies; we are fighting for our lives like you." The priest approached them with slow steps. One could tell that he was always ready to take hold of his staff and defend himself though. Especially considering that the sailors were tensing even further.

"Stay away, you filthy thieves!", hissed one of them. His voice was rattled, strained from pain. The sword was swatted from side to side before the man couldn't lift it anymore and the weight pulled him down.

Trevor frowned at the reaction, his hand was already on the Holy Whip. "They must be completely delusional." Seeing how there was worse on board than thieves that would take the treasure. The second sailor somehow found strength within him to sit up, at least. His expression was contorted, either out of pain or anger, but the hunter guessed that it was a mixture of both.

"You will not... Lay a single finger on our treasure!",. he growled before he turned to the pile and let his fingers glide through the coins. It was all slick due to the blood on the man's hands. How the blood stained the temping shine with the drops that almost looked black in contrast to it. His companion turned in place, now his sword forgotten on the ground, and imitated the other. A smile of relief curled on his burst lip when he cupped an amount of coins in his hands, kissing them. "This is ours… And ours alone!"

As much as it was perplexing to see them marvel over their treasure so much, the priest wouldn't have none of it. "We have to get out of here",. Father Cypher stated, suppressing the sickness that was welling up in his stomach. The more he had laid his eyes upon all the glittering gold, the more he noticed how unnatural it was. As fascinated as it was before, now it held something repulsive to him. "This is not a safe place. We will venture out further and bring you to a secured area without the influence of demons, but please—"

The next step that Father Cypher took was too much for the sailors to take and they launched themselves immediately at the other. It was out of pure reflex that the priest lifted his staff to defend himself, pushing them back as their forms were too frail to inflict any damage. Yet, this didn't stop the other two from joining the priest altogether.

"These morons have gone insane!", Grant spat in irritation and shook his head in disbelief. The priest glared at him as irritated.

"They might be insane, but it is our duty to save them! Every life is worth it and we should be grateful that God has lead us to survivors that withstood these terrors!"

"'Withstood the terrors'? They have become the terror themselves already! It is the gold that has them turn insane!"

Father Cypher could only roll his eyes at the cold demeanor of the other. "I am not going to take any lessons from a pirate!" He spat the last word with such disregard that Grant shuddered. Said pirate squared his shoulders as if to get ready for yet another insult to be hurdled at him.

"Stop it!", Trevor demanded, his tone harsh, pushing himself between them with ease. "We'll take them with us and then decide if we have any chance to save them." The hunter was more comfortable not thinking about what they would need to do if the two poor souls couldn't be healed from their obsessive state. A fate worse than death lurked out there for many and he wouldn't want to force them to live forever as lost souls.

There wasn't much time to continue their quarrel as the sailors stumbled in place. One of them fell on their back and right into the golden pile. Before any of them could even react, a snake like limb burst through the treasure and wrapped its' green scales all around the victim. Not a second later, a monstrous lady like figure emerged from the treasure and sunk her teeth into the man. This left him a screaming mess, struggling in the hold without much strength.

"Don't look at the beast! Its' gaze turns you to stone!",. yelled the priest as he lowered his eyes, though his hands were already in movement, preparing a spell. The companions listened to the advice immediately, but it was tempting nonetheless. The Medusa creature with its' snake hair, each strand rattling in excitement. However, it wasn't satisfied as it charged at the other sailor.

Trevor had seen enough.

In desperation, he pulled forward his Vampire Killer which caused a reaction. Not that it stopped Medusa from attacking the other man. Without being able to look at the monstrosity, the hunter tried his luck and lashed out at the monster. But the attack could only scratch over the scales and it had the Medusa jump back from the stinging cut. Before Trevor could even curse about it, a zap of lightening illuminated the room for a second. In the same moment, it hit the creature right on and even affected the gold, sizzling through. Another groan came from both the sailors. It was impossible for them to be unharmed by the attack.

"Filthy priest! How did you escape your curse?!",. the Medusa hissed along with the other snakes on its' head and it clicked with its' tongue. "Never mind, for I will have you and your friends become part of my collection!"

It was enough playtime so it seemed. The Medusa threw the motionless bodies of the sailors behind with its' massive tail without any care. Coins and other treasures were flying through the air the same, adding a dull shimmer in the room for a moment.

"How in the hell are we supposed to fight this thing?!",. quaked Grant in disbelief, his eyes on the ground as he shuffled his feet.

"Who are you calling 'thing', demonic spawn?! I can smell your scent!", fumed the beast immediately which had the pirate flinch. The Medusa wasn't exactly fond of being called out to its' origin. Trevor shuddered just the same. Could the Medusa sense that Grant had been turned into a demon himself?

Yet, the pirate wasn't one to show his insecurity in any way. So he threw a dagger at the direction of the creature in hopes to hit the target. "That must be your own, snake lady! Wipe that blood off your muzzle!"

At that, the tail crashed into the treasure once more to cause the coins to spiral anywhere, the sound startling. The beast hurdled large snakes at them and the animals slithered on the planks to reach them. Unfortunately, the number of them was increasing rapidly by the second. These hazards were hard to hit with the whip, so Trevor packed it away and pulled out the bottle of holy water. Splashing it around them proved itself to be somewhat effective to keep them off. Father Cypher followed his example, but instead took his bottle and handed it to Grant.

"I'll prepare other spells. You help Trevor out for now, I'll need some more time." The Medusa was a different foe after all, the priest would want to be sure to take it out. Grant didn't wait much longer and accepted the bottle without a comment, pulling out the cork by biting it and splashing it at the snakes. The animals were fuming when they came in contact with it as if it was burning them. Trevor did spot the pirate flinch at the touch as well, but not stopping. At least, it wasn't burning his fingers with the same intensity.

The Medusa understood the plan and wasn't ready to let the priest be finished to shoot yet another blast of magic at it. Thus, it dashed forward, slithering over the planks towards them. "Aren't you curious?", it snarled in amusement. One didn't need to look at the creature to know that it was smirking. "Curious to look at me?" With a swing of its' tail, it lashed out at them and the group jumped backwards, though they were beginning to be cornered. The ground around them was beginning to be somewhat slippery from all the holy water. At least, it was a ring to keep the snakes away.

At the moment, that was, the Medusa launched other ones at them to behind that ring. "Son of Belmont!", it yelled out afterwards, "wouldn't you wish to be lifted from your fate? From all the pain that your blood has you bound to?" The hunter flinched at the name, it must have understood his origin by any sort of sense. That or the Vampire Killer was familiar to the creature for some reason. As a minion of Lord Dracula, one could expect for that.

"This is my mission from God! It is my duty, my fate!", Trevor snapped back without any hint of worry or disbelief. "And ridding the realm of the Lord from filthy creatures like you! I won't spare you, demon!"

But Trevor couldn't keep his promise. Not because the fiend had found a way to turn him into stone anyway, but because a ghost skull flew in and screeched.

This was enough for the Medusa to change plans. It turned in place quick, one arm taking hold of one sailor while its' tail curled around the other, dragging them along as it escaped.

"Where do you think, you're going?!",. snarled the priest and finally allowed his head to lift before he stretched out both his arms with his open palms. In the next second, flames in the form of claws burst and dashed forward to reach the monster, but it wasn't enough to make the distance. Besides, the Medusa figured that an ordinary door wasn't going to work for its' escape. So it had tackled a wall and crashed right through it which lead to the outside, so it seemed. "After the beast!" Father Cypher didn't wait for any sort of reaction from them and instead took a running start as well.

It wasn't exactly in the idea of his companions, but they joined the priest anyway and picked up speed. "Are you out of your mind?!", the hunter yelled. In the next second, the entire ship rumbled in waves. Trevor glanced around in worry.

"It's hitting ground! It's going towards the shore!" The pirate would know and the rumbling continued, becoming worse by the second. "It'll crash if it continues in this speed!"

These news were enough to know that they should risk getting out of the ship before the impact would tear everything apart. There wasn't much time to think about their next actions and they could only hope that when they would be by the hole that the Medusa had created, they'd see land.

At least, it wasn't blue or black.

That much Trevor could say before they took their leap down the hole. It also wasn't a long drop which was yet another sign that the ship was about to crash on the shore.

Even if it was the priest who had suggested to chase after the Medusa this way, it was him who had the most trouble with the landing. Grant rolled from the grassy ground while Trevor tried to attempt it similar, but it didn't look as graceful. Father Cypher stumbled forward couple of steps before falling over his own feet. The pirate immediately hurried to his side as the priest sat up with a groan. Before either could raise their voice, another immense noise distracted them. It was as predicted, the ship crashed unto land and broke into two. Many of the monsters from within collapsed with it, struggling on the water. Large chunks of wood and planks flew around in the air, splashed into the water and sank while other parts spread all over the patch of land before it.

As their eyes scanned further, they noticed where they had landed. A bunch of other collapsed houses were around them. It wasn't a whole lot and by its' location by the lake, it was a village of fishers. At least, a long time ago. Now, it was infested with a couple of demons roaming the flat countryside.

Father Cypher got on his trembling legs and patted off some of the rough dirt that had gotten on his robe. "We can't sit around!"

Trevor was on his feet the same and ran up, looking around to find a glimpse of the Medusa, yet, none of it could be seen. Luckily, the large snake body left behind a trail in the wet dirt. The ground was soft under their feet, it was somewhat unsettling. Life wasn't found in this place anymore and the smell in the air was foul.

"Are you sure that you are all right?" the hunter asked anyway, knowing that the priest was far too stubborn for his own good. Apparently, they all shared this trait and Trevor found it exhausting. Couldn't he have companions that were less stubborn than a mule?

Father Cypher could already see this thought on his face and thus, showed him a challenging smile. "I wouldn't suggest to jump off a boat only to sit back now." It was enough explanation for them and there were demons around, so taking a rest was out of the question.

With determination in their minds, it set off new energy for them to hunt down the Medusa who had fled further into the destroyed village. The enemies consisted of skeletons and large crows that would lurk in the trees to wait for a chance to attack them.

"Why do they have to curse so many birds?" Grant slashed at one of the crows that tried to peck his eyes out. When he cut through the attacker, the black bird plummeting to the ground, he cleaned the blade on his pants. "First, they have the giant owls in the forests and now crows in an abandoned village around marsh. What am I supposed to see next? Demonic sparrows in the Castle?"

Father Cypher rolled his eyes and left it without a comment, but Trevor gave a shrug nonetheless. "I wouldn't yell that too loudly; it might happen." The priest glared at Trevor as if trying to say 'seriously?', but neither were reacting.

Further and further the path led them to where the center would have been. The only bigger building was located there and actually made out of stone at that point. Every other house was built with wood, another trait of a village. With the ruins barely intact, one couldn't say what it was supposed to be. Yet, considering the importance, it must have been a church. Only one wall was still standing – if one could call that 'standing', with all the bricks missing by the sides – and half of a door somehow hung in its' hinges.

And being between all, the dead silence of this empty place, sudden screams broke through. The group flinched in place, taking hold of their weapons as they quickened their steps. If the sailors were still alive somehow, the Medusa had a plan for them in mind. But the blood curling screams were enough to prove to them that there wasn't much life in them left.

As they arrived by the ruins, a strange light engulfed the remaining form of the building. The sight that greeted them was a light blue face of a ghost that floated in the air. Bits of its' being took hold of the sailors who were wrapped in cloth step by step. Behind it all was the Medusa who held its' arms up high as if commanding that face. Father Cypher was the first one to react, hurling a fire ball at the scene, but the reflex was too late for it to have made a difference. The flames passed by a mummified sailor, but the cloth barely caught fire. It died out in an instant, leaving behind a blackened stain. After that, the ghost dissolved and left behind the remains of the sailors who were completely turned. None of what had been of them could be seen anymore except for their eyes, though those have changed in color to a gleaming red.

"Try and reach me, Hunters!",. they could hear the Medusa shrill in the background, soon followed by a sharp laugh. "And if you do, please come and look me in the eyes, so my new pets can have a few toys to play with!"

The mummies swayed in place, their shoulders slumped over and their heads hung low. Soon enough, they figured that the three of them were the enemy and they stumbled forward far quicker than one would have expected. One of them swung their arm and a piece of bandage came off. Somehow, the motion caused it to dash through the air like a projectile. Even if they were unaware of the effect, they dodged the attack anyway and rightfully so. The cloth cut right through some bricks behind them.

"Do we have to rid of their life?", the priest asked with his voice wavering with worry. Grant let out a growl and flipped one long dagger.

"Your compassion will be the death of you one day, Father!", he sneered and focused on the movement of the mummies. "Our main target is still the Medusa; I agree with you."

The hunter held his Holy Whip in one hand the holy water in the other. One glance was shortly on the pirate as he spoke:. "Perhaps if we defeat the Medusa first, they can still be saved. After all, it was the monster that had summoned the spirit that took hold of them. If there is any humanity and will left in them, they might come back to their senses."

It was enough of a plan for them.

While Father Cypher stayed in the back to prepare another powerful spell, the duo followed a previous tactic:. Grant would distract the enemy while Trevor would keep them in place. This was proving itself to be harder, since now they were facing two enemies instead of one like the cyclops.

Yet, their enemies weren't exactly the smartest ones. As they saw the pirate dash by, they focused their attacks on him and attempted to hit him with the bandages. Ducking, rolling and slashing the cloth when they came too near proved itself to be effective. But once they were to gang up on Grant, Trevor would be close enough to splash the holy water on them, their backs fuming from the burning sensation. However, it wasn't stopping them for long in their tracks and it had their attention turned to him instead. Plus, the Medusa wasn't planning on sitting back either and sent its' army of snakes after them, too. Father Cypher rushed forward, now all prepared and ready to rain Hell on the creature. For the snakes, Trevor used some more holy water while Grant busied the mummies with a few slashes to their arms and legs to attract them back to him. Far too close to the hunter for his liking.

Lighting struck through the air from Father Cypher's staff towards the Medusa, hitting the target spot on. That was the advantage of the elemental magic of the priest:. he wouldn't need to look at the monster to direct his attack to it. The Medusa was large enough to hit anyway. Obviously, the monster wasn't happy about what kind of fight it was witnessing and how it was being involved in it by the priest. Thus, it launched a couple more snakes at them and then slithered forward itself.

Trevor cursed under his breath, spraying the snakes with the holy water before swinging the whip to keep the Medusa away from them. "We'll have to corner the beast somehow!",. he commanded as he forced his gaze to stay down, always tempted to glance at the main enemy. "Grant, you keep the mummies occupied!"

"Thank you, oh great Belmont!", the pirate shouted from the back as he was already doing what Trevor suggested. And without being able to harm the enemies, it would be a difficult task. Fighting a monster was one thing, but keeping it in place to have their attention was another. Even if Grant had sneered, he followed the plan right away, because honestly, what else could they do?

Thus, Father Cypher and Trevor parted from each other's side to be able to push the Medusa back in a corner. Not that there were many to begin with that would serve this purpose. With the risk of being attacked, the hunter dashed forward and jumped over a couple of snakes. While in the air, he lashed out with the whip, focusing on the scales on the Medusa only. It was a direct hit, the green scales split horizontally where the Vampire Killer had stroke. The blood gushed out in a burst and the Medusa cried out only to bash its' tail around in hopes to keep him away. Trevor did jump back to dodge the massive muscle which crashed the remains of what might have been another wall. Fire balls from the priest's side followed at which the creature held up swirled the tail around in defense with another screech. They could hear Grant curse in the background and the hunter allowed himself a quick glance out of worry only to see that the pirate was beginning to have trouble, because the mummies were reacting to Medusa's pain. To stop them from reaching his companions, the pirate threw his daggers at their feet to pin them on the ground. Muffled groans seemed to part the lips, pained by the sudden pierce, but they caught their control quick. Without hesitation, they tried to rip their feet away, therefore cutting through their feet sideways and breaking bones. More groans of pain, yet the fact that they were immobile was worse to them somehow. Another daggers to their legs, to force them on their knees and drain them of their energy.

In another instant, the floor before them turned to ice. Father Cypher has had enough of the snakes and kept them under a thin layer of ice. Another fold of his hands and the hunter could feel the energy of another lightening emerging from him.

The Medusa noticed, too, and was about to prevent the process, but Trevor wouldn't let it anywhere near the priest. His own attacks could only help so much with an enemy that you couldn't face, aiming for a spot that would be vital. Hindering its' movement should be better. Without any sense of caution, Trevor spurted forward to lash out at the monsters' tail some more. Another hit with the whip, this line crossing the first one and more blood gushed out and the skin around it sizzled as if it was burned. Another dodge, rolling to the side and sliding over the ice. Then another whip, but the Medusa wouldn't let him have his way now. When the hunter aimed to hit the tail again, Medusa swung it up and the whip curled around it. The Vampire Killer was burning marks into the scales already, yet the pain wasn't enough to distract it. Surprised, Trevor attempted to pull the Medusa back, even succeeding in actually turning the creature, but once it put energy into swinging back, the hunter lost his balance on the muddy ground. Medusa pulled back, flinging Trevor in a wide swing against the wall and the impact was strong enough to burst him through it. Father Cypher was only distracted by this for a second, though his anger took over quicker than his worries.

Another strike of lightening. Then another. A third one.

The priest was fueled by revenge and hatred, by the painful memories of its' doing. With every hit, the Medusa screamed. The intensity having it thrown on the ground and twitching and convulsing. Step by step, the priest approached the fiend as the Medusa's cries and groans died out with every second. Its' snake hair hissed and snarled some more and Father Cypher took hold of his staff.

His gaze was cold, unforgiving as he smacked the staff against his open palm, looking down at the trembling Medusa. In despair, it tried to heave itself up with its' arms, but failing miserably.

There was no other comment and it was time to end this battle. Father Cypher lifted the staff up high, the tip catching fire before he would smash it down to crush the Medusa's head. It was enough power to split the skull in half and the blood stained the bottom of the priest's cloak.

He couldn't care less.

His staff was still on fire and he used it to burn the remains of the creature to make sure that it was done for.

As the scent of foul, burning flesh was reaching his nose, the priest turned on his heels to check on his companions. Yet, when he tried to get a glimpse of the other two mummies, he didn't spot them anywhere. Instead, there was Grant kneeling next to the two sailors who were on the ground, unmoved. Their feet were cut up as well as their legs, their bodies twisted on the ground. By the wall was Trevor who sat up, a bit of blood tickling over his face while he tried to recollect himself. Father Cypher ran up to him to assist him. But as soon as the priest was by his side, Trevor took a quick glance at the burning remains of the Medusa.

"Good job…", he panted while his hand was inspecting his head, figuring out where the wound was. His blue eyes trailed back to the priest. "Didn't expect this from a man of your profession. I'm glad that I was wrong."

Father Cypher hesitated for a second, then looked down on himself and then back to the fire. There was uncertainty on his expression and his gaze fell once more, his face hidden by the shadow of the hood. "I didn't expect it either. But there is a time and place where your fury blinds you. All you have on your mind is the idea of erasing the evil that was done to you. It might not have been the peaceful way of God as we know, but it was enough for justice to be served to those poor souls. So I can only hope for the Lord to forgive my brutal crime." There was honest regret in his voice and Trevor pitied him. To be tormented like this by the compassion to bring peace and yet, to be forced to bring death upon others even if they were minions of Lord Dracula.

"Perhaps He understands that you defended yourself. After all, it wouldn't have hesitated to have us turned into stone and then smashed." Trevor had the need to soothe the priest from his guilt, it wasn't his fault after all.

Father Cypher shifted in place. There was doubt in his voice. Indeed, he wasn't sure about his words, but at least, he was taking them to his heart. "Yes, maybe."

Before the hunter could even think about it anymore, Grant approached them with heavy steps. His head hung low, though he did check on them in hopes that they were doing fine. "Neither of them survived", he stated, trying to suppress any sort of emotion in him. "Their bodies are long cold. This orb rolled from the dissolving bandages." The pirate handed the red orb to Trevor who took a quick look at it. In the middle of the fog, he could spot the ghost face that had possessed and turned the sailors earlier. Then he slipped the orb in the leather bag on his belt together with the others. Better keep it than leaving it behind for the monsters.

Silence fell over them.

Each of them remained in place for a moment before the priest knelt next to Trevor to check the wound on his head. The hunter let Father Cypher do as he pleased, hissing every once in a while as he treated it while Grant fell back to rest against the ruins. His eyes fell shut, his arms crossed and he nodded off quick. None were to wake him, he did run and jump all around before. A bit of a rest was understandable, for all actually.

While Father Cypher was checking for other injuries on the hunter, Trevor glanced around. They had gotten further from their path and had no way of getting back to it. Everything was surrounded by marsh and this village would be soon swallowed by it, too. As it turned out, the only path that would be still somewhat usable was one that would lead even further into the marsh. Yet, this had to be discussed later on after they would have had their rest. Not that these ruins would give the best shelter, but there wasn't anything better to be found. Unless they wanted to sleep between rotting planks of wood.

"I'll prepare a fire."

Trevor was awoken from his thoughts by the priest who got up to gather some of the wood around to make a bonfire. The hunter was about to complain about it, however, the other would be able to create fire out of his powers, so he might have been the most qualified. Nonetheless, Trevor got on his feet to assist him. "And a quick meal. We should still have something to eat. I suppose, Grant will be awake by dinner." They didn't have the heart to wake him up right away, there was something peaceful about him when he was asleep. A rare sight, the hunter realized.

Trevor pursed his lips for a second. "I believe, this is the second time that I see him sleeping. I am usually the one who falls asleep before he does." This had Father Cypher chuckle to himself, the idea was absurd. Instead of answering to that, he decided to pile the wood for the fire, then rummaging in the bags for food.

Now that silence and order was settling in, it was strange.

They could feel how their muscles were starting to ache, how exhaustion was rolling in and how much relief finally washed over them. The tension within them loosened a bit, the dread very much active, but calmed. It was as if their bodies wished to remind them that they were human beings after all. Not unbreakable creatures who could march day and night.

Trevor wasn't one to complain about the burden that he called his own. It was fate that had lead him to this place and he would give his all to see how much further he could go. He sensed similar determination in his companions and the hunter was grateful as he stared into the flames of the bonfire. His frame was warmed by it and they found comfort in the light as if the cone could protect them from the spawns of Hell.

Nobody should face these horrors alone.

That much was certain to him.


	7. Dead Beat

Seeing how the Animation is going around, I kind of felt compelled to edit the next chapter of this! And I should actually continue with it, too, but the thesis is coming up and I can't promise anything...

Well, whatever!

Hope that you have fun and I'll see you around~! :)

* * *

~ 4-2: Dead Beat

As Father Cypher had predicted, Grant was awake when the other two were preparing for a light dinner. He grumbled something like 'why didn't you wake me' or 'I wasn't planning to nap'.

Neither of them minded his words though and soon enough, they were sharing their food in companionable silence. By then, the sun had already set and the darkness of the night had rolled in. In the distance, they could hear the crows. Yet, none of them came near, so the sizzling fire was the only source of sound that was comforting.

"Since I fell asleep first", Grant began between a bite and another, "you two will be resting while I keep my guard up." It would be wise to have at least one of them awake and take turns, so everyone got equal amounts of rest. Trevor was about to agree when Father Cypher shook his head at the suggestion.

"I was planning to go to a pond near these ruins to clean myself a bit from the blood." The priest wasn't exactly comfortable with the smell of blood on him. This was understandable though, so the pirate shrugged.

"You will need to keep your guard up though, but you have proven that you can stand your ground well enough!" Grant showed him a proud smile which had the priest cough to himself in slight embarrassment. It was enough to have him grow silent which had him laugh some more, but he wasn't going to poke it.

The hunter looked between them before he tried to make himself comfortable on the muddied grass. "Very well then. Once Cypher is back from his trip, you wake me up so you can take the turn to sleep." He wasn't going to pass up a chance to rest finally and they were more than willing to let him have this moment as well.

Without waiting for another sign, Father Cypher got up and picked up his staff, pulling it close. Then he strapped one oil lamp to his belt to make sure that he could see while he would walk through the dark. Grant warned him to be cautious once more, worried for the other. Yet, he remained in place and hugged his legs in hopes to sit in a better position.

In all honesty, it was creepy to walk back down the path by himself without any of his companions with him. The sound of the crows became more threatening and that little cone of light from the lamp wasn't as big as the one from the campfire. As if that wasn't enough, now the wind howled after him, too.

Near the former village was not only a lake, but also other ponds. The inhabitants either used these for washing or for fishing. There was enough water after all.

Either way, they wouldn't have much use for it anymore.

For a moment, the priest wondered if the two sailors were. Did they come from this place or, if they were travelers, from far? Never able to be reunited with their friends and family again.

Father Cypher let out a weary sigh. There was no point in dwelling about these thoughts now that they were dead. During dinner, he had kept them in his thoughts in his prayer, hoping that the Lord had taken them to his Realm where their pain would have ceased.

It didn't take long for the priest to find a pond where he could rest and finally clean himself. The priest placed down the staff as well as the oil lamp, then allowing the cloak to fall to the ground. He had worn the clothes for so long and he would be happy to give himself relief for once. Then came off the belt of his tunic, the cloth now even more loose than before; it was already too big anyway.

Yet, what was revealed wasn't the body of a servant of God.

The form was smooth, showed rounder shapes than the clothing would have assumed. Once the ponytail was opened, the long, blond hair flowed straight down, reaching the lower back. There was undergarment, yes, but the chest was bound with bandages to hide another rounding of the frame.

A woman, living the life of a man.

Seeing her own, dull reflection in the water always perplexed her. She had lived as a man for so long that her own female curves were starting to look odd to her.

Those were the reason why she was denied knowledge. It was an obstacle, though more to others than to herself.

Her father, a local priest, had wished for a son in hopes to raise a child to follow in his footsteps. Inofficially, that was.

But fate wasn't so kind to fulfill his wish. When she was little, she would often feel the disappointment emitting from him. It was as if he was saddened whenever he looked at the girl. Her sex wouldn't allow her to grow wise or intelligent even.

Or so he had imagined it to be, at least.

This had her grow defiant, stubborn even. Her will to learn and grow and she wasn't willing to accept defeat. And if she wouldn't be able to do so as a woman, she would have found another way.

She knelt down to dip her hands into the water. Her fingers sunk into the liquid, it was cold and had her shiver, yet the sensation soothed her limbs. With her hands filled with water, she would pour it over herself to clean herself from dust, sweat and blood. Goosebumps rose on her arms from the cold, but she wouldn't flinch. Perhaps this would help her feel better about this journey, give her a moment of peace.

But this peace was fading as quickly as it came.

She could make out sounds behind her.

Light footsteps.

Her body froze in place and she held her breath. The steps got closer and closer.

She jolted up and reached for her staff, turning with her weapon clutched in her hands. What was next, was a second of shock and surprise.

It was no enemy that stood before her, but the pirate who himself was a bit confused by the sight before him. He didn't even dare to come any closer as if he was processing what he was seeing.

"What are you doing here?! You are supposed to watch the camp!", she hissed while her limbs relaxed, lowering the staff. Grant didn't dare to answer, pressed his lips together. It didn't occur to her what might have caused the confusion in him, so she waved him off. "Trevor is sleeping and he's unprotected! I will follow up soon enough, do not worry."

"Well, I… Uh…" Grant was completely lost, then he shook himself. He wouldn't want to look like a moron. At least, not more than what she already thought of him. "There is something that you missed to tell us, I think."

Then it struck her.

She looked down on herself and her face flushed red. "This is… I mean…" Now it was her turn to stutter, her arms instinctively covering her skin. Yet, the pirate didn't outright glare at her. Instead, he took hold of her cloak and handed it over while his eyes were now cast in the distance. "Neither of you were supposed to know..." She pulled the cloak around her while Grant was making himself comfortable by the pond.

For a moment, she could only stand in place and wonder what he was thinking of her now. She was afraid to meet his gaze once more. But when he patted the spot beside him, the priestess obliged and kept her eyes down.

"So… Your real name is?" She could feel his gaze on him and she pressed her lips together. There was no emotion found in the question except for a bit of curiosity.

"It's Sypha." It didn't have much of a difference. The priestess figured that there was no point in changing it so much when no one would know her in the monastery. Sypha heard herself speaking more without any kind of control. She was tired and vulnerable right then. "I wished to learn. To do so, I would need to serve God. Like this, I wouldn't have found a place."

Grant let out a weary sigh and leaned back a bit, supporting himself with his arms. "Becoming a nun wouldn't do quite the job, uh?" He wasn't going to comment on that further, not even attempting to understand her situation. Sypha shifted in place and hugged her own legs. Grant reached out to take hold of her shoulder, hoping that it was somewhat soothing.

"Please… Don't tell Trevor about this", she finally muttered under her breath. The priestess could feel how his hand tensed for a second. "I don't need more people to know about it… This is for my mission alone. It would put my life on the line if anybody else came to know about it..." People weren't friendly to the type of women who held magical powers. Years before, the Church had hunted them and executed every single one of them. Being cloaked as a priest was protecting her from a fate worse than death.

Yet, what had her glance up at the pirate was a chuckle that came from him. It perplexed her to see a smile on his face and yet, there was no sense of mockery behind it. "

Don't worry. I'm not that kind of guy who runs up to everyone to shout out things." Sypha could feel how her cheeks changed in color once more. The other patted and rubbed her back, laughing some more. "We all have our little secrets, I understand that." The priestess sunk in place. She was unsure whether it was embarrassment or relief that she didn't disappoint her companion with the truth. His words almost had something ominous, yet Sypha wasn't going to question him. A pirate had enough secrets of his own most likely. Grant jumped back on his feet and stretched himself.

"Well, I will head back to camp and stop making you feel uncomfortable! You go and get yourself ready, but do watch out. I'll wait for you at camp."

When Grant was already headed back to the main path, Sypha turned in place and called out to him. It had him stop and glanced back once more in confusion. "Thank you, friend. I owe you one."

Another carefree laugh and it lightened her mood some more.

"Don't thank me. We're partners in crime! No need to back stab each other and I sure know a lot about stabbing!" Of course, the pirate would laugh at his own joke some more. Sypha didn't know if she should chuckle herself or roll her eyes. "Anyway! I'll see you later!" With that, Grant was heading back and left the priestess alone.

What a strange companion, she thought to herself with a soft smile. The Lord had blessed her for sure.

After Sypha had finished washing herself from all the dirt, she refilled a couple of bottles, that were on her belt, with water. If they were to wander further into the marsh, they wouldn't find fresh water anytime soon. She might return to the pond with the other water bags once again. For now, the priestess changed back into her clothes and disguise. When she returned to the camp, she found Grant still awake while Trevor was curled up in place with his own cape working as a blanket. The pirate attempted to keep the fire going somehow with anything he could find. His eyes lighted upon her return, calmed knowing that she was back. After she had proposed her suggestion about the water bags, he immediately stood back up.

"You take a rest for now while I do that! When I return, you can sleep some more, too." Grant already went to grab the water bag which was not even half full anymore. The priestess frowned a bit at his enthusiasm.

"Is it because I am a woman that you wish to do this now? ", she asked while she watched him to find out the answer before he could think of a lie.

Grant stemmed his arms on his hips and shook his head. "Who do you think I am? Your shift will be over anyway and I am supposed to guard! Trevor will be on the gin the last stretch anyway." She couldn't help but believe his words, he was far too honest for her to doubt him. Thus, she could only nod at that and he dashed off with the oil lamp, not wishing to leave them alone for too long and be by himself either. In the group, they were working together better after all.

It was as they discussed.

Grant had refilled the water bag while Sypha was taking care of the fire. She was having much less trouble with it with her magic keeping it up, warming them. Trevor was sleeping still and she didn't have the heart to wake him up, yet Grant wasn't as kind and shook him awake. The hunter was groaning when he woke up, not pleased from being ripped from his sleep. Not that Trevor was going to complain, it was his plan and he had to stand up to it. Both Sypha and Grant laid down to get some rest, too.

Being left alone like this had Trevor think, allowing his memory to trail over the past events.

Every time the hunter would ponder about the adventure so far, Trevor couldn't believe that they were still breathing and kicking. With these thoughts swarming in his mind, he was greeted by the morning, grey and depressing. Clouds were covering the entire sky, not allowing the sun to come through. The only difference was that they wouldn't need any lamp or fire any longer to find their way.

In fact, their surroundings looked even more sorrowful now that everything was visible. Yet, it was enough to chase away the majority of demons who dwelt in the dark except for the crows. Of course, they could be heard in the morning. Not as sweet as hearing the birds chirp, but this was the closest that they could get while they had a bit of breakfast.

Their path to the marsh wasn't looking anymore joyful.

There was no more life surrounding them anymore. The scarce plant life around them was disappearing, the ground becoming muddy. Yet, the amount of dead trees around them was increasing. A foul smell filled the air, it was difficult to breathe without their stomachs twisting from disgust. A lot of living creatures must have sunk into the marsh for it to smell this rotten. Their way leaded them further down while more clouds rolled in, blocking out more light. In fact, their own path was getting lost in the marsh and they would need to use the rocks that were sticking out to pass some areas to avoid getting stuck. There was no point in losing energy over falling in the deep mud over and over again.

Before the group could even wonder if there were any enemies around, something stirred in the marsh pits.

Bubbles emerged from one and once they popped, the smell was even more intense than before. Trevor couldn't keep from retching, the smell burned in his throat.

They couldn't tell what was rising from the dark marsh. Then one could tell that it was a head appearing, then shoulders and an entire body welled up. But this creature wasn't the only one which appeared, more and more of them joined in.

"Are... Are these the villagers that attempted to escape? ", Sypha gulped at the sight as she stepped back, holding the staff tighter to herself.

Trevor's expression darkened. "It very well could be that. Let's not wait any longer."

The undead, as they have called them, were far too slow in the marsh to be of a proper danger. Yet, the amount was terrifying and their surroundings weren't fit for running. They would have to move with care which took out quite some speed.

Grant was the one who lead the group now. He was more skilled when it came to balance and had an eye for which platform was more appropriate to land on. It didn't help that the rocks were slippery and there was nothing to hold on to except for the undead once they were to appear next to them. Lashing out at them proved itself to be only somewhat effective. They still had another body underneath this great amount of mud covering them, but it was so sticky that they always risked falling back. Thus, they would need to hit them with precision, because that way, they would dissolve.

"How about these ice powers that you got? Can't you freeze the ground for us? ", Trevor requested as he stabbed the chest of an undead creature and watched it fall apart. Another leap to another rock.

Sypha, who was on a platform before him, looked over her shoulder and showed a frown. "That would be a good idea if I wouldn't have to use this much energy for it. There is no ending in sight and I don't want to run low on power if we happen to be in battle." Continuing on like this was annoying, to say the least. Yet, it did make sense, they wouldn't want to be stuck in place.

The main problem was the fact that the undead could appear anywhere anytime in the marsh without any warning. Since the mud was in motion by now, it was hard to tell whether a monster would emerge or not. Both Trevor and Grant were fighting with long daggers to stab them whenever it was getting too close or even cut off a muddy hand grabbing them. The hunter handed one to the priestess for her to defend herself better, but she wasn't trained to use a blade.

Yet, it wasn't Sypha that was getting in trouble.

Her staff did serve her well to keep distance from the undead even if it was slow. The biggest danger came from being this close to them after all. So while they moved forward step by step, they noticed how much more difficult it was getting. The dead tree branches were forming a roof above them which forced them to use an oil lamp that Grant buckled to his belt. The darkness was cloaking the undead better and they would rely on their ears more than on their eyes. In the end, the light cone could only illuminate so much.

Trevor glanced behind himself more than once, unsure whether a fiend was close to him and he was growing more paranoid. Suddenly, a slimy hand grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him back. The hunter gasped and slashed away with the dagger, cutting right through the wrist and freed himself.

But that wasn't the only enemy near him.

Another undead latched onto him in the next second and another embraced him from behind, locking his movement. His inhuman strength was helpful in this situation, he could rock himself back and attempt to throw the enemy off. With one undead, it worked out quite well, but as soon as that one was shoved away from him, another fiend threw its' arms around him. By now, two or three monsters were enough to actually drag him from the platform. They were able to coordinate together to not only drag him off his feet, but also to lift him and throw him back over their heads. There was nothing that Trevor could do to defend himself and with his back, he landed right in the marsh.

The sound was loud enough to attract the attention of every other fiend as well as his companions. Sypha called out for Grant who took action immediately. He used another path of platforms to get on a tree trunk and climbed upwards while the priestess focused on her powers for a moment.

So much to not wasting energy, then again, this was an emergency.

A breeze of ice dashed over the marsh, freezing it as well as the undead that were appearing and heading for the hunter. Trevor himself was struggling in the mud and all he could do was to get in an upright position to keep his head up, at least. With despair, he pulled out one arm with his dagger, aiming at whatever monster was close enough. Meanwhile, he wiggled with the rest of his frame which was stuck in the mud up to his hips. Then came out the other arm, but he wasn't getting further in place, since there was nothing that his feet could stand on. The marsh wasn't appropriate for swimming either. It was all one gigantic trap.

Sypha used the path that she had created to rush back while Grant was climbing the branches from above to be right where Trevor was. The pirate hooked his feet between the branches and allowed his body to hang down.

"Come on, take hold of my hands!", he called out as he himself tried to stretch himself further to reach him. Trevor didn't wait much longer and lifted his arms towards him, yet, only their fingertips would grace the other. "Y-You will have to work yourself upwards somehow!" Grant was more than desperate. He looked back up to his feet and tried to figure out a way to get down further to reach him.

Getting out of the marsh wasn't as simple as he made it out to be. Especially when Trevor still had to defend himself in the meantime.

The priestess reached closer, smashing the frozen undead with her staff. Other fiends turned into ice as well, preventing them from reaching the hunter.

"Hang in there! I am almost there!", Sypha called to him, cautious with her powers as she didn't want to cover Trevor in ice as well. It would need to be enough for her to reach his side. Shots of ice spells were directed towards the growing enemies while Grant climbed on the tree tops some more.

"Fidgeting does nothing!", cursed Trevor as he kept trying to swim upwards somehow. "It actually drags me further down!" Either that or the monsters were able to work from under the marsh the same. It didn't matter at this point since Trevor was in the predicament still without a proper solution.

Sypha was finally able to get closer to the other, yet was not within reach. She glanced down on her staff and figured that she could hold this out for Trevor to grab, but on this surface, she would slip and fall.

Her eyes darted up immediately and without any warning, she yelled: "Grant! Catch!"

And with that, she threw her staff upwards to him. The pirate was caught off guard, but did manage to grasp the handle, then hung himself down with it. Now the club was actually right next to Trevor's head and he grabbed on without hesitation. The undead, which were thinking about doing the same, were frozen by the priestess once more so that Grant had a chance to heave himself up and pull the hunter out inch by inch. Sypha edged closer to create a surface which Trevor could grab unto as soon as he would be up far enough. When his hip was already out, he wiggled from side to side to swing himself on the ice which, after a few attempts, worked out in his favor. Sypha took hold of his shoulders and pulled him, unable to put a lot of strength behind it due to the ice. Speaking of which, her magic could only work for so long as the undead beat it from underneath, causing it to crack.

Finally, Trevor was freed and the two of them hurried back to their original path before the monsters could take hold of them again. Grant threw back the staff to Sypha so that he could climb back to where he stood before.

"There's no way to escape this marsh! We will need to go further and hope to find a place where these monsters can't reach us!",. ordered Trevor as he stumbled over obstacles together with the priestess.

"From up here, I was able to make out a cave not too far!", replied Grant after he was back on track with them. The pirate gestured into a specific direction that would lead over a couple of other rocks. "And to be fair, there wasn't much else for me to spot, so this might be our only option for now!"

Well, Trevor sure didn't feel like climbing the trees on his own to do his own research. There were enough threats around them to leave him nervous. It almost felt like there was an infinite amount of them. Either that or whenever they dissolved, they would reform somewhere else which was more likely.

As predicted, they were able to make out a cave that was in some hill, preventing it to come in contact with the marsh. That was promising enough for them to climb up and venture inside. The undead were unable to follow, because as soon as they would set foot on anything that wasn't mud, they fell apart.

To their surprise, this was no ordinary cave.

In fact, it actually looked like a gate that would lead down to an even bigger complex. Stone stairs were build downwards; they could make out the faint outlines of doors. Nonetheless, the crew leaned against the rocky walls and slid down to catch their breaths. Cold sweat glistened on their faces, they had paled from all the panic before.

"T-Thank you", Trevor finally managed to mumble as his eyes fell shut for a moment. "I don't know what would have been of me if it wasn't for you." His friends were silent, unable to put together a sentence as if someone had punched the air out of their lungs.

Sypha shook her head at that, her eyelids tempted to close as well. "We wouldn't be able to leave you behind like that. We have fought together this far and we will continue on." Even if her body was drained from this chase, she wouldn't let her voice falter. After all, she wouldn't want to give him the impression that she was only saying this to convince him.

The pirate felt similar and waved him off with a weak smirk. "Honestly, you are our biggest hope here on this mission. We can't afford losing you when you are the only one with a weapon strong enough to kill a vampire." It almost sounded like jest from his side. Grant wasn't one to let the mood drop between them this low.

Yet, it was true when he said that Trevor was the one with the best chances to kill the Lord of Darkness. After all, his bloodline was bound to defeat him and send him back to Hell. Of course, the Vampire Killer was essential, too, only to be used by them.

"Believe me when I say that I won't hesitate to save you, too, when the need arises." Trevor's words seemed to strike them at heart, Sypha even blushed a bit. "Fate has brought us together and I won't let it slip away this easily."

"Then we all agree that we need each other to keep on going! The end of the world might be near, so it is nice to know that there's someone who has got your back!" The pirate winked and then leaned back with a laugh while the priestess looked down the stairway in silence. Soon, the other two glanced down the same, knowing very well that this was the only way to go for now. Who knew how much land the marsh had claimed by now and they weren't willing to find out.

"Do you think that this is a good idea?",. muttered Grant with doubt as he lifted the oil lamp to illuminate the corridor better. Indeed, this was built with the intention to lead from one place to another. Ergo, this cave was man made. The question was now if it was built by men or demons.

"We don't seem to have much of a choice, do we?" Sypha was the first one to be back on her feet. "But maybe it won't smell so badly down there." Not that she actually believed that it was better down there, but she might as well lift her spirits.

Otherwise, they would be stuck in the opening with nowhere left to go.

And indeed, this was enough motivation for her friends to join her side and step down the stairs.

A rusted iron door greeted them at the bottom, thus there was no need to break the door open. The handle wasn't working as it should, but that was about it. Opening that door revealed them a larger hall. It was eerily empty and by the other side was yet another entrance, but this time, the gate was much bigger. Torches were by the sides, indicating that this was in still use for better or for worse.

"At least, this will definitely lead us somewhere",. Trevor mumbled to himself as they stepped into the room to get to the other doors. But when they dared to take a look, they were met with a surprise.

There was a bat on the ceiling.

And not just any kind of bat.

It was a gigantic creature hanging there and it was soon aware of their presence.

Without waiting, it let go and glided downwards only to land right in front of them. The size of its' wings was immense and all three of them would have more than enough space to lay on top of one wing.

Trevor wasn't one to admire this creature for it surely had other intentions.

His Vampire Killer was in his hand quick and he whipped the monster. The weapon struck the monster, ripping the hairy skin and it cried out. Ignoring the pain, it then charged in flight to either to get them in its' mouth or strike them with its' claws.

Luckily, bats were almost blind, so the group could dodge these attempts by lying flat on the ground as the bat flew past them. The intensity of the wind was strong enough to keep them there, too. Another hit by the Holy Whip, finally coming in handy against an enemy after it had proven itself to be uneffective against the undead.

Yet, this attempt had another effect than they would have expected. When the Vampire Killer had sent another wound across the animal's torso, there wasn't blood raining from above, but the form of the monster was flickering before their eyes. It burst apart and every bit of its' body had formed into smaller bats which were now determined to attack them.

Sypha reacted first to the army of bats dashing towards them and a claw of flames dug into the group. Yet, as she had taken out a couple of bats, it wasn't nearly enough to have them defeated or blocked even. Scratches here and there, no matter how much they swung their weapons at them. It was a whole swarm of bats with the goal to take revenge while those that had been slashed and burst into flames, only leaving behind a tiny bit of ash. After having taken a leap down on them, the bats flew back up and the majority merged back into one bat while a few others followed it.

"Don't tell me that we have to take down every single one of these flying rats!",. groaned the pirate while they kept their gaze upwards and shifted on the ground to get ready for the next attack.

"It does look smaller than before, so yes, I am afraid that we need to do this." Trevor wasn't pleased with his own conclusion, but before they could even get to the gates and test if they would open, they would need to battle the bat. Otherwise, they would risk getting injured or even maimed in the process. "So it seems that if we deal enough damage on it, it has no power to keep itself together and will burst into smaller fragments."

"We will be here a while if this is what we have to do with every single one of them…", grumbled Grant in return. At that, Sypha could only laugh.

"You might need a long time", she scoffed and was already folding her hands to gather some power. Trevor actually let out a chuckle as well.

"Indeed, it isn't exactly our problem if you fight with short distance weaponry only",. he added and Grant was crossing his arms with a pout, but didn't comment.

There wasn't time to argue and joke among them when the giant bat was sweeping down on them.

Each of them got ready, jumping to different sides and attempting to attack the bat. One smack from the Holy Whip, fire balls from Sypha's side and Grant was flinging short daggers at it. The form of the bat was flickering in place, but it kept its' original size.

"I'll show you what I can do!", complained the pirate and without waiting for any kind of answer, he rushed to a wall to climb it. Trevor turned in place to see what he was doing and frowned.

"Don't be foolish!", he yelled and was about to call him back down, but he figured that he wasn't his father to scold him. Grant did have extraordinary skills and he should trust him with it.

Thus, with a growl, he turned back to watch and attack their foe. Yet, the bat was getting erratic in movement, then it cried out. The sound was so shrill that the group flinched in place. Before the last tone had died out, the bat was aware of where its' targets were. Since Grant was alone there on the wall, it seemed like a good idea to go for him first, so it dashed towards him. Yet, the pirate wouldn't have any of that and aimed his dagger at its' face. The blade dug right between its' yellow glowing eyes, then he slid down further while the bat crashed against the wall. Finally, its' form changed again and many smaller bats swooshed down. In the middle of this, Grant stretched his arm out to catch the dagger.

Sypha didn't wait to summon more flames as soon as the regular bats came into sight, roasting a couple midair. Meanwhile, Trevor lashed out at them to weaken the group even further and to keep them from scratching and biting some more.

It did work in a way, many of them sensed that those foes were dangerous as well and avoided contact. The rest that was left of them merged back together, but this time, the bat was much smaller and looking less frightening. Not that this was going to let their guard down, because the monster wasn't done with them. Thus, before any of them could prepare for it, the bat clawed downwards in hopes to reach any of them, separating the hunter and the priestess right away. This gave the creature an opportunity to hear where they fled to. It flapped in place, now dashing towards Sypha right away and the breeze was strong enough to throw her off her feet. The bat stopped right above her, ready to strike its' claws into her when Trevor had the Vampire Killer wrap around the feet of the monster, pulling it back forcefully. Yet, it wasn't ready to be kept on a leash and instead tried to take off into the air and carry the hunter with it. With its' current size, it wasn't able to lift off properly, Trevor remained stubborn and tugged on it over and over. Another dagger to its' torso from Grant's side and yet another direct hit that caused the beast to fall apart. The priestess, now angered over her own action, jumped back on her feet and pointed her palms upwards above herself a ball of lightening shot towards the army of bats that was about to spread over the room. The electricity hit each of them, causing them to rain down from above, hitting the stone ground hard enough to splat blood. Naturally, the priestess fled from the bat rain to Grant's position who had slid down the wall again. Once the last bat had hit the ground, the burst revealed yet another red orb sticking out of its' chest. It shimmered in the light of the flames, dragging the attention quick and Trevor bent to pick it up. It was the imagery of the giant bat flapping in the fog as if trying to clear the view, but it was always being blocked. Another one for the collection, he thought as it joined the rest of the orbs.

"I suppose, this was the backup plan from Lord Dracula",. Trevor mumbled when he finally joined the other two who had already made their way to the gates. His eyes studied the copper gates. There wasn't any kind of decoration on it, though one could argue that the scratch marks were a form of it. "Not exactly the best type of defense mechanism. There was worse before."

"Perhaps it wasn't in his intention to keep this completely protected. Just enough to have regular warriors defeated as if to challenge those who wish to venture deeper. Either that or this wasn't Dracula's doing at all." Sypha frowned a bit at these thoughts, unsure what to think of either of these.

In the meantime, Grant had knelt to check on the keyhole, pulling out a lock pick right away to get to work. "Maybe it was created by one of Dracula's minions. I mean, who knows, he probably has enough smart demons that can do dark magic on their own. I can't imagine that the Lord of Darkness does everything by himself when he has a demonic army at his disposal."

That much was also true.

Trevor glanced back at the remains of the bats, their bodies dissolving on their own. Certainly, the Medusa was smart enough to create monsters on its' own even if it was a recreation of the original creature. For someone to have left a warning sign in this entrance would be likely indeed.

Then the gates clicked.

Grant was about to stem himself against one of the doors, but Trevor placed a hand to his shoulder and suggested that they should take a breath and sit down. They were on a mission, yes, but it would be useful to have a bit of a break.

"Can't face the new terrors if we are sweating waterfalls, I guess." That was the only answer that Grant gave at that and they allowed themselves to sit down and letting their excitement and nervousness die down. Feeling one's own physical boundaries was important to bring them back to reality and not overshoot it.

After all, they only had one life to live.

It began to rain outside.

The wind howled even inside the cave and their eyes were drawn to the stairs. They couldn't make out the outside, but they could hear how rain drops were hitting the entrance. It had something relaxing to it, some white noise to fill the silence. Their limbs dragged down even further.

Before tiredness would roll in, however, Trevor got back up. He refused to sleep in this area, the atmosphere hostile. The hunter pushed himself against the gates, swinging them open with not too little effort. Once more, the foul stench of rotten flesh and burnt remains reached to them from whatever was behind these gates. There was even something humid to the breeze that hit them as if it had been closed off for some time.

"Well then." Trevor turned to face his two companions who rose to their feet as well. Uncertainty was in their expressions and he couldn't blame them. For that, he showed them a bit of a cheeky smirk. "We can't stick around in here. Let's see what Dracula has prepared for us this time and ruin his plans some more. What other choice do we have anyway?" The hunter wasn't trained to motivate anybody, in fact, he had lived for so long by himself that it was to be expected.

Yet, it was the truth and that much his friends could understand. Besides, they had chosen their own fate to accompany him and to finish what they had started. Trevor knew that they were strong and brave at heart, otherwise, he wouldn't even allow them to continue on.

Together, they had proven themselves to be more than capable for the holy mission of God.

* * *

Pssst, take a wild guess who's favorite pretty boy is up the next chapter teehee


	8. Nightmare

There we go, next chapter of this story is out! Gotta thank the Netflix animation for the influx of new readers though and I am happy to see more fans around in the fandom!

Also, I _just_ figured out that you can reply to reviews, so I won't be doing that here... But thank you guys either way for the support, you have no idea how much it delights me to see that so many fans enjoy this!

Without further ado, here you go!

Have fun and I'll see you around~! :)

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~ 5-1: Nightmare

This was definitely built by men even if it was in a terrible state. Yet, this wasn't meant to be kept in charge anymore. Large pillars all around them, some of them broken and moss had grown all over. From the entrance, they had grabbed a few torches to guide their way. No use in wasting the oil in their lamp when they could do that instead.

The stone walls shimmered from the light, the air damp and heavy. Sometimes, they would spot a couple of skulls and bones by the walls. They were piled up as if it was important to anyone that there was order in this place. Needless to say, it was enough to have them shudder.

"This was some kind of burial ground…", Sypha mumbled while her eyes scanned the area. "It looks like there had been inscriptions on the walls, but I can barely make any of them out..." Indeed, they could make out a few letters on the walls at times, yet all was lost to them now. Besides, if this was supposed to be some catacombs, they didn't keep the bodies inside very well.

Not only because the bones were scatted around, but also because some of them were able to walk around. Grant only leaned his head back and hissed, though wouldn't dare to get louder.

"This is also supposed to be a labyrinth?" Another groan from his side as they came across a couple of stairs that would lead to yet other doors.

"Let's not hope so… But this functioned as some big catacomb, so they needed the space. Makes you wonder what kind of people were buried here..." Trevor wasn't comfortable with thinking about who found his final resting place here.

Soon enough, when they decided to climb some stairs, a duo of skeletons noticed them and swung their clubs. Yet, the group was getting used to this kind of enemy at that point, so they were unafraid to face them. Sypha smashed them off the platform with her staff while Grant tackled the other to have the same effect. It was as Trevor had predicted: the catacomb was using its' space and created more pathways for them.

What was giving them more trouble were the mummified undead. Seeing even more corpses that transformed into mindless minions had a bitter taste on their tongues and twisted their stomachs. Anything that was ever supposed to rest would rise again under the rule of Dracula. Soulless creatures that once resembled human beings. As much as the sight of a human face was too familiar, their enemies held no remorse in attacking them. So the group found itself forced to fight them with the same brutality as they would with the skeletons.

As soon as the group was getting used to working their way forward, the situation changed.

Grant was leading a group of skeletons, rushing over another couple of platforms. But when he had run over them, they flipped and revealed spikes. A couple of slower fiends were pierced or downright stuck on them. Both the hunter and the priestess were left behind. Trevor turned to whip the skeletons and corpses that were climbing the stairs to get to them.

"Do you have any idea how to flip them back?",. exclaimed Sypha to the other and Grant glanced at the flipped platforms with a frown.

"Well, they turned when I ran over them, so they work with pressure?" Another creature joined him from behind and Grant used that enemy to throw it on the platforms. The corpse was pierced right through its' flesh and the pirate winched. Yet, his theory was correct and the platform flipped back to its' former position. "You'll have to run over at the same time, otherwise we'll spent all week in this hellhole!" The priestess looked behind her shoulder to see if Trevor had even noticed what was happening, but he had to have listened somehow. As soon as their gazes had crossed, he took a running start and Sypha followed right up. It was enough speed to get through without being thrown off.

"This must be someplace special if they had to add these traps...",. Trevor mumbled as he glanced behind himself one more time. An angered skeleton threw rocks after them, but couldn't reach.

Sypha didn't mind it much longer, she wanted to get further somehow without being pierced alive. "Yes, who knows? Maybe they are hiding some other kind of treasure?"

Yet, when she took hold of the handle of the next door, it came off once she had pulled on it. The weight was too much to hold up for too long, so she dropped it on the ground. The edges looked strange though. "It looks like something ate right through the metal." There was no kind of bug that was known to them that would actually destroy metal; wood was common. Before they even stepped into the next room, they saw some kind of liquid drop from the ceiling. It was too green to be considered regular water. As soon as it hit the ground, it would burn itself into the platform a bit before it was dissolved with a sizzling sound.

"You know, I thought that they couldn't make this place more convoluted. They had to add acid dripping from the ceiling!" Grant leaned in nonetheless to see where it was dripping from exactly, so they could pass it at the right time. At least, they could tell where the acid usually dropped down, considering how it sizzled away.

"This wasn't planned. It might be rainwater that changed on its' way down…", Sypha mumbled while she watched the ceiling. The cracks were wide enough for that to be true. If the rumors were correct, the ground was cursed and thus, the earth would be soiled by darkness. "Crops are dying… Whatever is in the earth, it is the result what we see now." Even the enemies were affected, their skin and bones burnt from the acid and so they avoided contact as well.

A monster slashed away here, another pushed away there.

It wasn't encouraging to notice how they descended further down into the earth. There was no sign that they would be able to go back upwards. Yet, there was no point in going back when only the marsh waited for them outside. Whatever waited at the center of the catacombs, they could only hope that there was an exit that would lead them back outside.

For now, they would have to focus on getting through without being harmed in the process. It wasn't in their intention to join the army of corpses. They needed to watch their step as platforms flipped, sometimes triggered by an enemy and other times by themselves. It all managed to slow down their process, forcing them to backtrack and reactive the traps by dealing with more enemies.

But while they continued to climb deeper, their path was blocked off by a huge pile of rocks. The ceiling had collapsed, now blocking off a stairway and two doors. Trevor glanced behind himself. "Great... We have no alternative route around this, do we?",. he asked with a groan, though he didn't need his companions to answer to him to figure out that they thought of the same. Since there was nothing between the soil and the catacombs anymore, more acid from leaked above. It sizzled through three holes without hesitation, creating tiny streams. It was as if it tried to turn this broken pile of rock into a form of art. Not exactly appealing to the eye, but nothing in this place was.

"Well... Can't turn back, so we'll have to dig." Grant pursed his lips, trying to make out where the little streams of acid were going. With a gesture, he pointed upwards, already drawing a shape that the formation would have in a while. "We should aim to get to the upper door. Getting to the lower one might take way too much time."

"And for the upper one, we need to be quick, otherwise the acid makes the stairs unusable." The priestess wasn't exactly happy with what was happening. It would make them use more energy for a task not needed. Yet, Sypha hastened back to the door to freeze the lock and then block the door with her staff. It would only be a matter of time until there were enough foes gathered in this room. Might as well buy them some time to work on their main task.

While Sypha had checked if her blockade was effective enough, Trevor and Grant had already started pulling out some broken fragments and threw them to the sides. They would need to reveal the stairs quick and in the most efficient way. The priestess joined them quick. Yet, altering the formation was also changing the flow of the acid which got in the way of the group. As they had worked their way more forward a bit, they could hear how the skeletons were knocking against the door with their bony fists. Unfortunately, these doors in the crypt weren't made of massive material as the gates of the entrance were. The hunter was the first one to grow evermore worried about it, his attention shifted back to the noises. They would need to call out to him to have him back on track, otherwise he risked to crush or even burn his fingers if he didn't look at what he was doing.

"Then go back and fight them if you are confident enough!",. panted Grant as he lifted one rock after another, hurling them back.

Sypha glared at the pirate while her hands were restless. "Are you insane? We can't have him go back there by himself! Who knows how many of those monsters have gathered right behind the door now!"

Trevor wasn't so sure himself if he should attempt to fight them, because if they were too much for him to handle, they would need to focus back on the battle rather than getting themselves forward. "I will kick down the door and take the first row out that way." It was now his turn to be glared at by the priestess who couldn't believe his words. Of course, by kicking down the door, they would have no method of closing it once more if they proved itself to be too many. "They aren't difficult to fight, we know as much." It was the number that was frightening, one person can only focus on so many at the same time.

The hunter wasn't going to let himself be influenced by his own fears right then, so he threw back two large fragments that would be too heavy to deal for his companions before he took hold of the Vampire Killer and raced down the pile. Trevor didn't allow his thoughts to reach him when he took hold of the staff and pulled it back from the door, using his right foot to do as he said. The power behind that kick was enough to blow back a couple of skeletons and leave others stumbling. Unfortunately, these creatures knew nothing about fear, so the next group tried to enter the doorway right away. At the same time, the doorway wasn't too wide to hold five skeletons rushing in at once, leaving Trevor with the job of whipping one after another. His eyes tried to make out how many foes were present, though it was difficult to tell with each trying to squeeze through immediately. It was causing a mess in the other room which also attracted other enemies, it was all uncoordinated. Trevor plopped open the bottle of Holy Water, spraying it at the monsters before him and then doing the same to the ground. This gave him more time to plan while the water would burn into their feet and making them immobile. If it was only for that, Trevor wouldn't be as worried at the moment. But he kept himself from checking if his friends needed help or were getting in some sort of predicament.

"I know that it is difficult for you to turn in place right now", began Grant to call down, "but when I tell you to run, then do so! I'm coming to distract them!" Trevor was about to protest, not wishing to risk the safety of the other, yet he could already hear how the pirate was dashing down towards him. Suddenly, two blades flew past his head. He could feel the gush of air around his ears, then in the next second, Grant yelled for him to run and he did as he was told. Trevor spun in place with the Vampire Killer in one hand and the bottle of Holy Water in the other while he could spot Grant from the corner of his eyes, picking up the staff and then turning to follow him. Sypha checked the streams of acid in the meanwhile, leading them on with other rocks before her companions hurried past her. Together, they broke through the next door without any caution. They needed to get past and lock it for which Sypha froze the hinges.

Yet, when the companions made it past and turned to face whatever room awaited them, they were greeted with a whole different sight. Everything beforehand looked rotten and abandoned, but this place was taken care of. In fact, it held Christian elements to it which was the last interior design that they would have expected from cursed catacombs. Instead of torches, there were candles by the walls and the floor was marble which shimmered in the light. In the middle was a giant cross with a tomb in front of it which was also in white marble. A faint smell of incense was in the air, little strands of it hung by the ceiling. If they hadn't passed hordes of monsters before, they would think that they ended up in a church.

Both confusion and fascination showed in their expressions when they climbed down the stairs. Their eyes were drawn to the now smooth walls and dozens of candle flames.

"You haven't come for sightseeing, I presume."

The group flinched at the sound of the unknown voice, deep and rumbling. A nobleman stood by the tomb, his bright red eyes focused on them. In the light, his skin resembled the marble, holding no color while his black hair had him look even paler. His clothing did the same, all in black with few golden buttons and stitches here and there while the inside of his cape was in a deep red. Soon enough, a sword was in his right hand, the blade glistened at them. The rich handle was already enough to tell them that he wasn't any sort of nobleman in there. His gaze wandered between the group, it stopped for each individual, then shifted his attention back to Trevor. "I would recommend for you to turn back if you value your life."

"What are you waiting for, vampire?", scoffed Trevor and found the energy within himself to smirk at him. His Holy Whip was in his hand which had the other hesitate. Then again, the female vampire back at the Clock Tower recognized it as well. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if this creature was as aware of it. "Are you afraid that you can't handle a fight?"

For a moment, the vampire didn't reply to him and stared at him intently. Trevor shuddered, it was as if his gaze tried to read him. "It wasn't my intention to have to kill any of you, but I can't allow you to pass through either." His shoes clicked on the marble as he drew nearer. "But if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

There was no warning coming from the side of the vampire and he dashed forward to attack them. The speed of the foe was remarkable, it threw them off-guard and they had to back away to avoid the blade. Each of them dodged in a different direction, focusing to get themselves ready. His main attention seemed to be on Trevor, not paying any mind to the other two. Sypha wasn't going to back down from that, shooting fire balls at his direction which the vampire blocked with a swing of his cape. Grant's daggers were avoided similar and the nobleman growled in irritation. He fired flames at them, too, before he raced towards Trevor who attempted to keep him at bay by swinging his whip around. It slowed the vampire in his tracks, but he wasn't standing still either and changed sides.

"You'll need to be quicker!", he hissed as he dashed forward, slicing the hunter's arm. A pained groan parted his lips, but Trevor went on full offensive and used the momentum against him, crashing into him to throw him back. In the end, Trevor didn't want to be made pray this early on, since it was the creature who was alone against three of them.

In the next moment, the pirate jumped between the two, blocking the attack of the sword with his long dagger and lashing out at him. Between them, it turned out to be a battle of speed: ducking, dodging, blocking and flipping their blades to slice into the other without any true victor. While the beast was distracted, Trevor rolled to the side to have the whip slash his legs which forced the him to his knees. Grant attempted to land a vital blow, but their opponent wasn't easily distracted and rammed the sword hilt against his chest which threw the pirate back and he gasped for air.

Another attempt from Sypha who summoned lightening his way which had the foe flinch in place. When Trevor whipped out at him, the beast swung his cape again and in the next second, he had turned into a bigger bat and escaped upwards.

"Now who is not quick enough?!",. yelled the pirate and flung a dagger in his direction, though the vampire was smarter than the other bat that they had fought in the entrance. Also, the bat wasn't able to spit fire on them, almost resembling a dragon at this point. The vampire used his powers to keep them in place, chasing them around before he would dash back down and take on his original form. Another wall of fireballs was shot towards them while the group tried to approach him. Avoiding the fire balls worked somewhat well, but it slowed them down which gave him an opportunity to attack them with his sword. Once more, the vampire was planning to attack the hunter first, seeing in him the biggest threat still.

By now, Trevor took his advice to heart and focused more on the speed of his feet rather than the strength behind his attacks. Thus, the hunter dodged the attack with a roll and used the Vampire Killer to wrap it around the blade. Trevor pulled back immediately and it seemed to work, but the vampire held enough strength to tug back and keep hold unto his sword with both hands. It was yet another moment to distract the beast, for the hunter's companions to take a chance, but their foe noticed early enough to use more strength to free himself from the whip's grip and use his cape as a shield. Trevor didn't waste any time and took a running sprint towards him, ramming into him with his shoulder and delivering a punch to his stomach. It drew a strained groan from their enemy and even if Trevor jumped back, he was still fast enough to leave a cut in the hunter's leg.

Sypha then managed to strike him down with a flaming claw, causing his clothes to catch fire which he diminished with his cape. Then a dagger flew by, digging into his shoulder. To the priestess' attack, he answered with his fire magic and Grant received a similar reply before Trevor was faced with fire as well. Yet, the hunter didn't back down anymore. They would need to corner him, so he ran once more, jumped over the ball of flames and as he was on his way down, he used the momentum for his next strike. Their enemy was caught by surprise, then attempted to jump back. But the power of the strike was strong enough to cause cracks in the ground and the shock wave threw him off. Upon the landing, Trevor did a somersault and lashed out, serving no mercy for the vampire who was completely out of his rhythm. Thus, the next hit got him across his chest, causing the diagonal wound to burst and revealing the dark blood. The beast could only stagger backwards, the pain leaving him dazzled before he could realize that the group was heading for him. Thus, the vampire couldn't prepare another attack and resorted to the method of before. He transformed into a bat and escaped their attempt of cornering him by flying upwards towards the cross. Yet, he didn't have enough energy or control to get enough height, so the bat landed in front of it instead and he changed back, laying on the ground.

"H-Halt!", he belted out, stretching out his arm while he cast away his sword with the other. Trevor edged closer, his Vampire Killer still in his hand and ready to deliver a final blow if he did any wrong move. Yet, when the foe glanced up, he noticed how his eye color had changed from a bloody red to a warm yellow. Silence was between them at first before the vampire rose back to his feet, his shoulders slumped down. "I'm surprised that you beat me… No one has made it this far in a while… I've been waiting for someone like you."

It almost sounded like a joke.

Trevor scoffed at these words and edged closer, watching his every movement. "Don't act dumb. If you wish for us to spare your life, you can forget about it." The hunter raised his whip and to his surprise, the vampire didn't even flinch at the sight of it.

"I shouldn't have expected less from someone who carries the Vampire Killer." There was almost something sorrowful to his voice and his gaze carried the same intensity as before. "I can only hope that it wasn't handed to you by chance." These words perplexed Trevor enough that he waited with his attack.

There was something more human to the other. Not by a whole lot, but the air around him wasn't as hostile anymore.

"Tell me, vampire hunter, are you a Belmont to be worthy of this holy weapon?"

The hunter pushed his shoulders back, lifting his chin a bit as if the other had attacked his pride. "I am Trevor Belmont. My mother, a strong warrior herself, past down the Holy Whip and our duty to me."

His eyes grew wide, though it carried none of the anger like it did with the female vampire. "The son... You are her son." The creature stuttered more to himself than to the other. Over time, the vampire lost his intimidation factor. There was no ill tone in his voice when he added: "So that's why you held such familiarity. You carry her eyes, you carry her heritage within you."

Trevor lowered his arm, his attack now forgotten. "You know my mother?" This nobleman was more sorrowful than anything at this point, a hint of regret in his features. "You speak as if you had met her before."

"I did", the vampire replied without any hesitation. Then his voice died away for another second. "We have both sought to defeat Lord Dracula, my father." Their defeated foe didn't flinch when the group blurted out "your father?!" as if he had expected this reaction already. "My name is… Alucard. I have waited in these catacombs for someone worthy to fight my father. I am not one to let anybody run into their death. There has been enough of them already as I can tell…"

"So you were the one who had summoned the giant bat by the entrance?", asked Sypha with actual curiosity. It wouldn't be a surprise if the son of Dracula would hold enough magic within him to do so.

Alucard switched his attention to her and locked it there, the priestess shuddered. Looking at him wasn't intimidating, no, he was actually fair looking for a vampire. Yet, exactly this unholy blood gave an unnatural air to him as if something was off.

"That was my doing indeed", he then replied and nodded to underline his words. "The fact that you fought your way through the catacombs and worked together to defeat me, is proof that you might have a chance to go up against my father."

Trevor looked up at the cross. The incense had been fresh, the candles not old. "What, are you going to continue hiding here until another potential warrior comes by? You wish for the problem to be solve itself?"

Alucard followed his gaze for a second before he lowered it in slight shame. "I did play with the idea of joining your group. In fact, I have high hopes for the son of Sonia to be able to defeat Dracula. Risking for you to fail isn't in my intention and I would assume that my abilities might be convenient to you." His hands formed into fists, his frame tensed and he pushed his shoulders back in defiance. "I need your help to defeat Dracula. My mother loved this world, I can't sit and watch it burn. With your group, I have a chance to protect what my father so selfishly wishes to destroy in his anger."

After Alucard spoke of his wishes with this confidence, it was followed by silence. The three of them looked him over, not knowing what to do.

Of course, this man was the son of Dracula, the one who was about to engage war all over Europe to rule it. But when one glanced at the other and listened to him, they couldn't help but feel like he was honest.

Trevor was the first one to find his voice again. "I suppose, I can see your intentions and the advantages your companionship might have." But he wasn't ready to make this decision alone, so he turned to face his friends. It was in this moment that the hunter noticed how Grant hadn't commented on this situation at all. In fact, there was nothing of his cheeky or bright self and the pirate seemed to avoid even glancing at Alucard.

The priestess shifted in place, noticing the same about Grant. "I don't know... Of course, it would make sense if we were to use the help of the son of Dracula..." She was feeling indifferent to it, that much was clear. It was only natural to have doubts.

No comment coming from the pirate again.

The hunter frowned at that, he was usually the quickest to voice his thoughts. "What about you, Grant? I don't wish to make this decision without your insight as well." The glare that he received for this question was cold and hostile.

"I'm not much of a friend for the idea of taking a vampire with us."

"Half-vampire", commented Alucard from his side, but he wouldn't return the gaze either. "My mother was human. I'm not like my father."

Grant let out a groan, rolled his eyes and stemmed his hands to his hips.

"Same thing. Dark powers and whatever." His hands went to his neck instinctively, rubbing the bite mark as if reminded by what had happened to him. His sharp glance softened and dulled. He added with a sigh: "If you trust him well enough, go ahead, since I trust your judgement, too. But if he acts up wrong only once, you will find my dagger in his chest." Grant spat out the words with such hatred that Trevor was surprised to hear this much from him. The shock seemed to have lasted long enough for Alucard to answer instead: "Understood."

He gave a light nod, now facing him, lifting his chin. With some pride to his features, he approached the pirate who was more than a head smaller than him. It wasn't unusual for non-humans to be of different size. Grant, however, didn't back down and glared up with the same intensity.

"I am to prove myself and I will. This is not for you or to win your trust, but to ensure that this world won't be plunged into ruin. We're on the same side." Alucard had paused to see if something stirred in the other's expression, though he wouldn't bulge. "Let's keep it that way." This was enough for the dhampir and he passed him with a swing of his cape and making his way to the gates of this hall. The pirate finally allowed his frame to slump a bit, one hand rubbing his neck again.

Trevor and Sypha looked at one another in uncertainty. This pair-up wasn't as promising as it had sounded. Yet, Grant's agility proved itself to be more than useful in their adventure. Alucard would provide information and powers that they wouldn't have access to. Neither of them were expandable, this mission needed them both.

The priestess followed Alucard while Trevor patted Grant's shoulder and showing him a gentle smile. Maybe this could encourage him a bit and once he had calmed, this might have worked better. The pirate was hot-blooded, he couldn't deny that.

Grant didn't even look up at him as he shook himself.

Instead, he threw one last glance at Alucard and pressed his lips together. "I'm fine", he then said, swallowing his anger and fright, "I'm fine."

"If you were to follow this corridor, you would get out on the other side."

Alucard had opened the gates for them and carried a candle to illuminate the corridor. "But you can get out a different way. You see, above us is a castle that was taken over by Dracula's forces. With this, we can make our way to the courtyard of father's castle over a bridge. This, however, was built by the demons for a more convenient passage." While the vampire explained, he moved to the left wall a few steps from the gates. His fingers searched for something in a particular spot. "The current king and his children had resided in this castle, but they fled. Most likely through this secret passage here."

The hunter gave it a thought. "The current king… Laiotă Basarab was his name, correct?" He remembered the innkeeper from his first night back in Wallachia. "People don't know where he is and he's assumed dead?"

Alucard gave a nod at these questions. "He's good at hiding, that much my father had to admit no matter how much he'd love to have his head on a plate. Dracula doesn't take well when someone steals his position."

The priestess took hold of the candle to help him with finding whatever switch it was. "I don't know if one could call it stealing. Laiotă shares the same royal bloodline as your father, does he not? It split at some point."

"Indeed, it did. My father and I belong to the Drăculești lineage while Laiotă and his children are of the lineage of the Dănești. I do not care much for it myself, they have been maiming each other for something so empty for years now. It may be a bit grotesque, but it seems like family tradition." Something clicked in the wall, then they could hear many little wheels turning. A part of the wall before them was slithering to the side. Another set of stairs was revealed to them, steep and of different material than the ones in the crypt.

Alucard climbed them first, the other three followed as they let his words sink in. Their steps echoed in the narrow hallway, the sudden calm was unsettling somehow. Only the creaking of the next wooden door reminded them that there was more than the echo in the air.

Light greeted them first, blinded their eyes for a second. A dimly lit bedroom was before them and this was almost more unsettling than the hallway.

Everything was in its' place, nothing torn or disturbed.

The red sheets were laid out on the bed in order. No dust on any surface, the closets polished and the mirror didn't even have a single crack in it.

"Well well, look who we have here."

Trevor recognized this sultry voice right away and he shuddered. To their right sat the female vampire in a rich chair. Her dress had only changed in color, now in a shining black to go with her hair.

"Carmilla?!"

Trevor wasn't the only one who recognized her. Alucard himself was distraught by her sight and struggled with getting his calm back. "What are you doing here? I thought that you were with father!"

"Oh, you wish. I should ask you about what you're doing here with these… Hunters." Carmilla revealed her sharp teeth to him and bashed her eyelashes. She got up from her chair and placed her hands on her curved hips. Her pale hands stood out against the black fabric. The smile from before had faded while her crimson eyes burnt into him. "Are you done crying about your mother, young master? Now you decide to take action and what is it for? To support the enemy?" With each word, one could hear the growing anger. Alucard's hand was already on the hilt of his sword, waiting to strike.

"Let's just say, I have had a change of mind." He tried to sound calm about it, but Carmilla could feel the uncertainty within him and his decision.

"What? Are you going to fight me now? Four against one? That's hardly fair, is it?" Her former sultry tone returned to her to mock him. It didn't show much effect though.

"Someone as foul as you doesn't deserve any form of honesty. As if you were one to play fair anyway", he snarled back and pulled his sword to point it towards her. His companions were getting ready to do the same.

Carmilla rolled with her eyes and leaned her head back. "Come now, really? This is not the time nor the place." Without taking his warning seriously, she stepped to one window. It was night already, the group didn't expect to have spent this much time in the catacombs. "Your father won't like to hear this. But I suppose that it would be good etiquette to wish you good luck. I'm eager to see you jesters again. If you make it, that is."

Alucard called out to her and rushed towards her in an attempt to attack her, but she jumped out of the window. Soon enough, she was fluttering away in form of a large bat. All they could do was watch her take her leave for Dracula's Castle which could be seen as a shadow in the background.

"So what do these news mean to us? Will we have to expect Dracula's expert army now?", grumbled Grant as he crossed his arms. Alucard didn't seem amused about this comment and shifted in place while he slid his sword back.

"Not quite. Father will only be aware that I will bring company during my next visit. Carmilla is too proud of her own army in this castle, so she thinks that we stand no chance against them anyway. This will be her downfall."

"Big words for someone who hasn't gotten far himself. How much distance have you traveled, how many enemies have you gotten under your belt?" There was something challenging to it once more as if it was his goal to provoke the other.

Alucard only partially took the bait. It triggered the need in him to do the same to him.

"Come now, don't act like you did most work, vigilante. You were lucky to make it this far. In fact, you should have been dead by now like most.

And yes, it worked.

"Oh, you should know, huh?!"

Trevor stepped between them, placed a hand each to their chests and pushed them apart. "Enough already. The situation is difficult enough as it is." He then looked at Alucard and his hardened expression didn't soften in the least. "Will we be safe here for now? Do the demons now of our presence in this castle, yet?"

It took the dhampir a second to reply. At first, he gathered his breath and his gaze was unfocused before he answered: "No, not yet. Demons have no reason to come here and Carmilla uses this room for herself at times. Usually, she is with my father in his castle to follow his order, so I wasn't... Expecting that."

Sypha didn't seem too pleased about it, but approached the next door anyway and used her staff to block it.

"Just in case. We should use the opportunity and get ourselves some rest. It has been a while since we were able to occupy a bed anyway." The priestess was the voice of reason, the calmest one among them and they decided that it was best to listen to her. "Since it was Trevor who was last on the watch, I will sleep first and take over the last shift. I suppose, me and Grant can rest first." The bed was big enough for two anyway. Sypha faced Alucard and tilted her head to the side. "I don't how much rest you will need. You can stay awake, of course, if that suits your needs the best."

"It wouldn't be wrong to rest, no. But I will join Trevor's company if he so wishes, because I am not too exhausted myself." Alucard waited for his approval nonetheless which he gave with a simple nod. The hunter had sat alone lonely long enough. Having company was something he needed to get used to still, but he figured that Alucard felt similar. The son of Dracula wasn't the most popular man around, he imagined.

Thus, it was decided.

Sypha and Grant climbed into the bed while the other two grabbed themselves the chairs to sit in, facing one another via a round table. If this wasn't a holy mission or anything, this could have almost looked like a serious meeting of some sorts.

Well, it was in a way perhaps.


	9. Rising

Now that I have finally finished my Bachelor's Thesis and signed up for a Masters degree, I have had a bit less of stress lately! So finally, there is the next chapter up!  
I am not sure when I can get to the next one, but in the official spoopy month, I should crank out at least one more :U

But! As always, have fun and I hope to see you around~! :D

* * *

~ 5-02: Rising

For a while, the two companions sat together in silence.  
It didn't have anything heavy or uncomfortable to it, they were both let alone with their thoughts and ideas. Yet, whenever Trevor's gaze would cross the frame of the dhampire, he felt his curiosity grow larger. At some point, he couldn't keep from asking anymore:  
"What did you have to do with my mother anyway?"

That question was bound to be asked.  
Alucard didn't seem too surprised about it, though it did make him somewhat nervous. The hunter could see as much when the dhampire folded his hands in his lap and wouldn't meet his eyes. "I told you that we both sought out to defeat Dracula. We were on the same side."  
Trevor frowned at that, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "This was not the only occasion, was it?" He didn't even try to hide his disbelief from him.  
Alucard sighed at that and rubbed his temple. It wouldn't be fair to lie to her son. Though, he needed a moment to think about it. "No, it wasn't. We knew one another before the chaos which helped the situation. So, we were aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Sonia is an astonishing fighter as well as a person."  
There was a hint of affection in his voice, the memory of hers crossing his mind right then. It was almost unavoidable to not remember the past. As far as it had been, he even managed to show that his thin lips weren't only made to sink down.  
"Was. Indeed, she was."  
Trevor couldn't keep from correcting him about it. There was no use in keeping his hope up that his mother was still with them.  
Alucard noticed the change and fell silent. There was no need to say it out loud after all. If one could call it a smile, it faded as quickly as it attempted to appear. He swallowed before he could reply with a stutter: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"  
"No, it's fine." Trevor waved him off. It wasn't exactly pleasant to think about, granted, but it wasn't his fault. He had come to terms with it over the years. A memory was just that, a part of the past that couldn't be changed.  
"I have heard about how the Belmont line wasn't in Wallachia anymore. A form of exile, I assume?" Alucard tried his best to mask his guilt. But by now, Trevor could tell that this was an emotion he would never hide away. It was something that stuck with his very being in every step.  
A friend of his mother would deserve to hear what had happened to them. It wasn't up to him what he would do with this information anyway.  
"At one point in our lives, people grew wary of us and our powers. They knew that there was something off about my mother, though couldn't say so for me. After all, I was a child."  
It was all a blur to him at this point. How it all turned sour, they had no hope for staying, but running was out of the question. "One day, the bishop crossed our village. He knew of us, especially of mother. They didn't talk to one another and yet, he was sure that she was a witch and declared it as much." Of course, it came as a convenience to the people that they could get rid of her. After all, it was the bishop who had said so, how could he ever be wrong?  
Alucard leaned back in his chair and looked at the candle flame, watched it flicker. "People tend to forget a lot. Just before, Sonia had defeated Lord Dracula and then they see in her a demon, too." Another heavy sigh from his side and his head dropped back down. One hand rested over his knee, grasping it out of despair. Whatever came to his mind, the hunter could not tell.  
In all honesty, Trevor pitied the other.  
This fate was a cruel one, such that turned around in these ways. There was nothing that his mother had done to deserve this painful death. "As I was told, she asked for mercy for me. I was a child, they said, I hadn't inherited her powers. The bishop accepted exile for me." They had hoped that the young boy would die on his own and they would be rid of one more problem if he were to become one. "A group of monks was kind enough to go with me beyond the borders of Wallachia. They said that they would take the remains of my mother, too, for they hadn't forgotten her service."  
"To ask of such... She never changed, did she?" Another glint of affection that he allowed to sip through. Maybe it was needed to offset the knowledge of her death. That much he would be able to understand anyway. Then Alucard glanced back up at him at once as if a sudden thought had crossed his mind. "What about your father?"  
"I did not know him." Trevor shrugged at this question. Of course, he had always been curious in a way, but at some point, he got used to it. "Mother never talked much about him. I assume that he has passed away before I grew up." It would be a nicer thought than thinking that he was an unwanted product of a night or anything similar. Then again, the hunter never felt like he was baggage to his mother, quite the contrary. He was a loved child and he was taken care of to the brim.  
"Sorry."  
"Stop apologizing for things you can't know." Trevor almost sounded irritated by that, ripped from his thoughts like that. Yet, he could see how it would be better to not focus on the circumstances of how he was conceived. Trevor figured that it was a normal reaction for any child.  
Alucard shifted in place once more, but kept his mouth shut. There was no way to comment on it. He was about to apologize for his behavior, though he figured that the hunter didn't wish to hear this now. "Very well. It is your turn to have a rest. You could use one, I imagine." The dhampire glanced over to the other two, still sound asleep. "But I would ask you to awaken the priest for me instead. I don't think that any of us would get any form of rest if the other was awake."  
Trevor watched him for a second, then he leaned back against the chair some more. He should have offered for him to sleep, yet he could understand how a creature like him might not need sleep as much. "It's unfortunate that Grant is this hostile towards you. He's usually a merry, young man."  
"Well, he has every reason to be hostile, knowing who I am." Alucard gestured towards the bed anyway and didn't allow any form of emotion after these words. "Now, I can't have you fall asleep on the chair."  
Of course, this kind of answer wasn't satisfying in any way. Not that Alucard was going to give him a proper answer. So Trevor settled with the idea that he should get to rest.  
To be hostile towards a vampire, that much Trevor could understand. Perhaps he was growing too trusting of the people around him to accept this. In a way, he was almost afraid that his connection to his mother had him blinded from the other's true intentions. Yet, there was something stubborn to him that wished to accompany them as if to redeem himself for whatever reason. Trevor shoved these thoughts away. This was no place to ponder over these matters and he should get sleep.  
Thus, he wished him a good night and helped Sypha up who wasn't too happy with being awake, but didn't complain.

It was strange to think that they were able to spend a quiet sleep in the Cursed Castle.  
Not that the others spent much mind to the sounds coming from further down the halls and rooms. In fact, it seemed like the demons were avoiding this chamber. Indeed, Carmilla was taking care of it. She might punish those who messed something up.  
All in all, this was to their advantage. Carmilla must be confident in her own skills and the ones' of her Lord to leave them there. Either that or she was having too much fun in telling Dracula that his son was rebelling against him.

"There is a main tower that we will have to reach."  
The morning began with yet another briefing of the situation by Alucard. The others wondered if he had slept at all that night, though it wasn't their most important concern. "It will lead us upwards towards a hill that offers many bridges which would lead across another lake." The dhampire couldn't say why there were so many bridges in that area. Maybe to confuse people who attempted to reach them? It was full of waterfalls and pits that would be used to get rid of intruders while they tried to find their way around. "The 'Moat Bridge of Peril', that is its' name and will lead us closer to what my father calls his realm."  
"His realm? I thought that Lord Dracula had conquered more than that?", pondered the priest aloud. Indeed, the troops had taken over more and more land over time.  
Alucard was already checking his sword before the group made their way to the door. "In short, his army is gaining land. Yet, he is using this land to produce more demons and train his personal generals who would then continue to curse more land to do the same." And endless cycle, quite intimidating and dangerous like this.  
Yet, the time for discussing had passed and they would need to continue their journey. If they were to stop whatever Lord Dracula's plan was, they would need to get going.

This private bedroom had a narrow pathway which was as tidy. Candles were on chandeliers on the walls which almost made it look pleasant. Yet, some bloodstains here and there were ruining the sight of it. It was all but a grim reminder that death and despair reigned in this land. There was no happiness for anyone to find.  
Before they could dwell in these thoughts, they encountered their first enemies.  
It was a duo of knights; spirits that inhabited the armor in this castle. They stepped from under the doorway towards them and hurled their axes at them. The Holy Whip was a good match for them, reaching out far enough and with enough strength to do damage. Grant's daggers would dig into the metal, though it only had them shift in place. Sypha wouldn't be able to reach them quickly enough with the risk of getting sliced. Alucard, instead, was unafraid to use his sword to block the flying weapons. The hunter was the first to get rid of an enemy by wrapping the Vampire Killer around the leg of a knight and ripping it off. This had the knight fall on his back as it threw yet another axe in blind hope to hit an enemy, but it only trailed off to a wall. A fireball from the priest's side was able to blind the other foe which staggered in place only to be sliced by Alucard's sword. The head flew off without a trace of blood. Some form of gas or smoke followed instead, the remains of the ghost now unattached to the armor anymore.  
"How many of those will we have to expect? Did they curse all armor that is in this building?", asked Grant who was kneeling by one of the enemies to pull his daggers out.  
"Most likely." Alucard walked past him and he could feel his glare on him. "But I can imagine that they summoned more creatures to protect this castle from anybody wishing to reclaim it. We'll have to be prepared for anything."  
"Business as usual then."  
There was nothing else to be expected. Lord Dracula wasn't having anything unprotected when they could summon great demonic beings. With a bit of a frown towards the tip of his blades, the pirate followed and so did his companions.

Their pathway led to a great hall with stairs leading upwards and then forked into two. By what it looked like, it was used for greetings. A forgotten chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, many of the candle holders bent or broken. The carpet on the ground was ripped and messed with. Now an outline of cloth on the ground that would show that this was fancier back in the day. The walls were covered in shredded curtains or in picture frames, many of those empty or burnt.  
Needless to say, this hall was defended by other creatures as well. By the broad stairs were already two knights. At the top, there was a skeleton with a pile of bones for ammunition. The bat from the ceiling was disposed with a strike of Grant's blade, the other foes not so much. While they would have needed to avoid the weapons of the knights, the skeleton threw bones at them with enough strength to cause pain. Sypha attempted to attack the skeleton first to get rid of this distraction. But the knights were determined to protect it, very well aware of its' function.  
"Keep them distracted", demanded Alucard before turning himself into a bat to dash past the knights. One of them noticed and swung with its' axe backwards, then throwing it after the bat, though Alucard was quick enough. Even if the dhampire wished for them to have distracted the enemies, he was starting to become the hunted one. The knight followed him right up while the other took on the group of three together. The skeleton jumped around to stay away from Alucard who had planned to get rid of it first. Trevor attempted to do similar as before to make the knight immobile, though with the skeleton throwing bones, he couldn't remain in place for long. Grant chased after the skeleton as well, though having to avoid the axes was slowing his run. It was up to the priest to take out the speed from their foes, yet there was no point in wasting energy. Instead, she used her ice powers to cover the floor with a thin layer. The skeleton didn't expect as much and slipped to the ground. This gave the pirate the opportunity to attack. He sliced off the skull and kicked it for good measure which hit the back of the knight's head. It didn't inflict any kind of pain on the knight, but it did turn its' head to glance at what dared to attack. The movement was slow which gave Trevor the chance to strike, too. Another enemy down with a precise hit on the chest, then the next one fell as Alucard was given a chance to turn back. An indirect hit from Trevor against it, then a slice from the dhampire's sword. As the metal clashed on the ground, it resounded in the hall and the group rejoined as silence fell over them.

That was when their eyes were drawn to the painting at the top of the stairs. For some reason, the attackers had kept this one from total destruction. The canvas was still intact almost. They stepped closer in curiosity to inspect it.  
It showed some sort of family picture with a tall man in the middle whose face was the only one they could make out. Beside and before him were his sons, they guessed. Though their faces were crossed out with blood to cover the proper features. Thus, their gaze was fixed on the man first who was now even more intimidating. The curled beard was long, his eyes sharp and as dark as his brown hair. Upon his head was a golden crown, on his shoulders a furred coat. His glare was stern, but his gesture warm enough that would suggest that he was fond of the children before him. Each of his hands rested upon the shoulders of the boys to the side.  
The priest leaned in and squinted her eyes at the faded letters beneath the canvas. "Laiotă Basarab. Prince of Wallachia", read Sypha aloud from the wooden frame beneath the painting. "So this is the King, huh? The one who fled from this castle?"  
"Well yes, I did say that it belonged to him." Alucard watched him with a mix of curiosity and disgust. When one's father was in a fight with this one, he might have a few ideas about him and what he used to do in his past. It almost had them wonder if he despised him as much as his father did. Family tradition and all, he might have been influenced against his will.  
Sypha then watched the boys. She didn't even attempt to hide her worry about the blood. It was dry, the color dark to suggest that this was done long ago. Who knew how old this painting was at this point and how each of them grew up. If they were allowed to grow up at all, that was.  
"These are his children then? Why are their faces crossed out like this?"  
The dhampire gave a shrug and his eyes trailed to the faces of these children with concern as well. They didn't look as stern as their father, that much was for sure. Some looked like him, others not so much, from as much as they could tell. They all attempted to look prideful like their father, though too young to carry this kind of dignity. Or anger, it was difficult to tell.  
"I am not sure", he admitted. "Probably dead. Caught and then sacrificed for the sake of strengthening Dracula. They are of the Dăneşti, so they might have had the idea to use them as petty revenge. Or the demons might have had their fun of counting how many they got or how many assume that are dead. As said, no one has a clear idea of where Laiotă escaped to, so I imagine that's why he is the only one who isn't defiled here."  
"Poor boys... They are the last ones to blame for what was happening around them." Sypha shook her head in defeat, though wasn't going to say more about it. Having witnessed children getting sacrificed before wasn't helping her predicament and worry. Not that Alucard knew of this tale. Then again, as a son of Dracula, he might have heard a story or two on his own.

The dhampire let the words of the priest sink in for a moment before he directed them to the door to the left. Both Trevor and Sypha took another look at the painting before following the advice. The hunter hesitated in his steps and glanced back, seeing how Grant remained in place.  
"Are you all right?" Trevor didn't dare to raise his voice. The pirate was startled by his question, then turned on his heels to reach them with quick steps.  
"I'm good!", he chirped with a smirk, though Trevor could tell how much of a lie that was, unfortunately. "I was stuck in thoughts. It's a bit grim and all when you see pictures like that. Makes you wonder what happened to them or if they have found any safe place at all." Grant glanced back one more time and he let out a weary sigh. "Probably not. We almost can't make it through, so I don't know how children fare in here. But I will hope for it nonetheless. They deserve it more than a king that escapes his duties."  
"If we happen to find him, you can tell him your mind. But for now, we'll have to find our way out of this place if we wish to see anybody ever again." Trevor patted his back to encourage him to keep on going. Grant had to laugh a bit at his words and he took it for that. After all, they didn't have much else of a choice.

Making their way through the next door led to another couple of stairs. The group was at the bottom of the tower that they would have to climb near the top to get to the exit. In the worst case, this was right at the ceiling on top, having to climb all these stairs. Trevor and Grant were reminded of the Clock Tower. The shape was similar, though the stairs were completely intact and this tower was narrow. At least, the enemies were looking rather similar: they could make out a few knights patrolling with their lances back and forth without any sort of goal.

But when the group had reached their first platform, the sound of bells ringing greeted them. Many little ones ringing along with a few large ones, creating great noise that shook the tower.  
Yet, what was worse, was that the stairs beside them were trembling and falling into pieces. When already half of it was gone, the ground beneath them was starting to give away as well. In panic, they escaped to the second pair of stairs and watched as the ground beneath them was collapsing. The tower was a death trap itself and was supposed to kill those who dared to venture closer to the demonic realm of Dracula. The Lord of Darkness thought of everything.

Trevor cursed under his breath and tore his eyes away from the sight. They didn't have much time, so they couldn't deal with the majority of enemies now. Falling to their deaths would be the risk of it. Now that the alarm set off a trap to have them buried in the remains of the tower, the foes weren't the biggest problem.  
Not that the knights cared much for what they thought, not even caring about their own existence. Thus, they had no hesitation in attacking them and had no intention to flee themselves. With their lances, they would try to stab them. Sometimes, Grant would kick the weapons out of their hands. Other times, Sypha would do the same with her staff and knock them lower while Trevor aimed to keep them away. Yet, Alucard turned into a bat to help himself move upwards and the pirate soon followed. He ran towards the wall and climbed it to keep the stairs free for the other two. They would try to get rid of some of the more complicated enemies that tried to stop them. While the dhampire checked the quickest path for them to take, leading them on, Grant distracted the knights. With their range, they were able to give trouble to the pirate who, at times, would receive cuts here and there. Nothing that was stopping him, the motivation of not falling to his doom was good enough. Here and there, when Grant had to handle more than one enemy, his friends came to aid him with their own attacks. Sometimes, they pulled him back for him to take a breath before rushing further up.

What was making the situation even more difficult was another set of enemies that they hadn't encountered yet. By then, the stone pillars weren't reaching further up anymore. Either because they were broken or because it was its' actual end - the interior of the castle was still intact at times -. From the top of these pillars, crouching creatures were waiting for them. If they were made of stone themselves, they would have recognized them as gargoyles. Yet, they were simple skeletons as if those monsters had rotten away. Dark power made it possible for them to float even if their bony wings were useless in nature. It was enough to launch down, then rising themselves up only to use the momentum to reach their skeleton claws out to them. At first, the gargoyles were aiming for Alucard who was still in his bat form. It seemed like they could sense that the dhampire was no demon that belonged in this place. It forced Alucard to turn back into his regular form and aim fireballs at them. The hollow growling from beneath them ruined his targeting a little. It was intimidating to hear how the tower was beginning to collapse under its' own weight. Grant fled right past him, the two companions were following soon enough. Then Alucard turned to do the same, hoping to have taken down enough monsters.  
More lances were thrust towards them, the corridor becoming more narrow at this point. Fighting was becoming unavoidable which cost them their precious time. The group was soon reminded what was at stake here with all the looming sounds of crashing beneath them.

Then, there it was, from the corner of their eyes:  
A door!  
It was already in sight, those heavy gates with the iron handles glistening in the dim light. Seeing it was giving them more strength while it also felt like it was mocking them, teasing them to get up. Another kick here, another whip crack there and a wall of fireballs from the other two magic wielders. Metal clashed left and right, weapons flying off while the screeches of the gargoyles resounded in their ears.

The group hadn't registered how they reached that final door. They burst right through it without thinking twice.  
Was it the top of the tower at all?  
They couldn't tell, all was a becoming a blur, fogged by the need for survival. In their next moment, they allowed themselves to take a breath and stop once the door fell shut behind them. The muffled sounds of destruction reached them soon after. It sounded like the platform on that level most likely broke and collapsed as well.

Before them, the space didn't quite match to what they had seen. The entire castle had a certain design, that much was true. But now they had found themselves in a room that resembled a cave more than anything. The remains of the pillars and other walls indicated that this had been part of it all, but it was run down and moldy.  
Out of the corner of their eyes was yet something else.  
The form becoming bigger and bigger, standing on its' legs and dragging itself towards their cone of light. It illuminated the creature: it resembled a human being, though it was of incredible size. With its' bulky head, it would hit the ceiling if it wasn't slumped over a bit. Its' eyes were lactic and dead while the skin was rotten in a grey and green sort of color. The limbs didn't quite match, the monster was misshapen as if sewn together with many different parts.  
When the creature focused on them, its' broad hands grabbed on some of the rocks and chucked them at the group. Despite it being so slow, they could feel the strength behind the throw as the rocks crashed on the ground.

"What even is this?!", Sypha called out in confusion. It resembled a human being and yet, there was nothing natural to it.  
Did anybody curse another poor soul to be a demon like the Medusa did with the sailors?  
The monster didn't seem to understand her words and so had no reaction to them. No offense taken, but its' head was empty to comprehend human language.  
"Another experiment maybe? They do seem to enjoy toying around with humans and anything that they can grab", grumbled Trevor before lashing out at the enemy with his whip. The damage was minimal, destroyed some of the clothes and ripped some skin from the leg, though the monster didn't even react to it. Some darkened blood dripped from the wound, but not as much as a living creature would.  
Another curse coming from his side.  
If an enemy didn't feel any pain, how were the supposed to inflict damage?

Another couple of rocks were launched towards them and smashed against the wall of the cave. There wasn't much aim behind the throw, its' eyes seemed to be messed up. Yet, the mass of the rocks was enough to make the ground tremble. Alucard dashed forward to attack the other leg. Yet, his sword did as much damage as the whip did and the creature did not even flinch. Instead, it lashed out at the dhampire with its' hand immediately, swatting him away like a fly. It had Alucard thrown back and join the rumble beside them. Before any of the others could come to his aid, the monster threw another mass of rumble his way to cover him up.  
Since the foe wasn't the quickest, Grant took his chance and rushed towards it, focusing on dodging the fists and fingers that were planning to crush him. Instead, he rolled between his legs to get to the creature's back. This action confused the enemy and it turned in place while its' hands were eager to find the pirate who had jumped on its' back. Grant climbed up and stemmed his feet on its' shoulders only to ram two daggers in its' head.  
Indeed, blood gushed from these wounds with the same minimal amount, but this didn't cause the monster sway in place either. It was only angered further. Soon enough, Grant found himself thrown away as well to join Alucard as he struggled in the rumble. Yet, as the pirate was tossed, Sypha had focused enough and sent a bolt of lightning its' way. The body trembled in place and was paralyzed for a second, the brutal heat sizzling the rotten skin. But really, that was all her attack did on it; feeling unpleasant, but not much else.  
"What do we do? Unless we can cut it into pieces, there is no way that we could pass!", panted the priestess with shock. She escaped to the side with Trevor who attempted to attack the foe with his whip some more. The hunter groaned at the fact that his attack wouldn't do anything effective still.  
"Well, that's what we need to do then, I guess." Neither of their tactics proved to be strong enough to do physical damage on the monster, so they would need to make it immobile somehow. Perhaps then they could go for the vital organs and shut this beast up for good. If there were any vital organs that could be damaged to begin with.  
"What?! Are you crazy?" Not that Sypha would get an answer to that. The method was too absurd in her mind, though she couldn't propose anything better.  
Their interaction was interrupted by a rock smashing between them and leaving cracks on the ground. From the other side, they could hear how Grant was helping the dhampire getting out of the rumble. Not without showering the other with curses, but Alucard wasn't minding much of it. The situation called for another mindset altogether.  
Sypha, even if she wasn't convinced of the plan, found another spot to gather her energy and cast her magic while Trevor was keeping the foe's attention.  
Another lash here, another whip crack there.  
With arms and legs so thick, it would take ages until they would be able to get rid of a single limb.  
Before Trevor could continue this thought, the priestess attempted to freeze the enemy's feet on the ground. Layer after layer covering the legs, the ice thickened. Yet, as soon as the monster became aware of what was happening, it only needed to lift and tug its' feet out of the ice to be free. Trevor heard how the priestess cursed herself and he found himself surprised by that. Then again, the situation kind of called for it by now.

To their relief, the other two companions were able to finally free themselves from the rumble around them and rushed to different sides. At least, they work together that much, Trevor thought with a bit of a frown. It was a beginning and them not trying to slice one another was a step forward.  
The hunter approached Grant since it was him who was closer. "You heard what we need to do?", he asked as he took hold of his shoulders, needing to stop him in place.  
The pirate was eager to continue the fight, now angered that he was thrown away like a puppet. But the question confused him and his lost expression was enough answer to Trevor. "You saw how regular cuts won't do anything. Instead, we will have to try to take it apart."  
"Take it apart?!", he burst with both anger and disbelief, Trevor could only cross his arms and roll his eyes. "Seriously?! How are we even supposed to—". They were cut off by a roar from the foe and it was enough time to let them know that the monster charged at them. Trevor instinctively took Grant by his arm and pulled him to the side, then taking a leap.  
"Do you have any better idea?!", the hunter finally managed to hiss back. The duo watched the enemy smash right against the wall, leaving cracks behind as parts of the dirt hung on it.  
Grant gasped for air, unable to utter something at first before he could finally spit out: "This is insane!"  
"Glad you figured that one out."

This was enough of an explanation and they figured that they would need to attack the same spot together.  
The group decided to go for a leg first. Their blades and the Vampire Killer were starting to dig into the smelling flesh. Yet, as they did so, some of the clothing came off and they noticed how its' body was sewn together. The lines were clear to see, the flesh not even connected properly and slipping on top of one another. Blood trickled down with every single movement.  
As much as it twisted Trevor's stomach to see, he did order the others to focus on the strings that kept the body together.  
Grant attempted this order first and hurled his daggers at the strings. Two blades cut right through the sides, other two digging into the flesh and cutting some more. As hoped, the leg was separated right away and the monster tumbled over. Again, it did not much care as it grabbed unto other rocks to throw at them, enraged by the fact that it couldn't run anymore.  
The biggest threat now were the arms and hands.  
It would be necessary to get close to check for the shoulders for more strings to cut. Again, it was Grant and Alucard who dedicated themselves to this task while Sypha tried to assist them with her ice magic. The monster might have been strong enough to free itself from the chains of snow and ice, but it would give the other two enough time to position themselves to attack. In the meanwhile, Trevor used the Vampire Killer to not only injure the enemy, but also to reveal the skin to them, so they could spot the strings quicker.  
This time, the strings weren't as evident.  
Grant clung to the shoulder and he searched with his palm for an uneven cut. The rough surface of the burnt skin was less than pleasant, the smell even worse as it rose to his nostrils. Alucard stood upon the other shoulder, his eyes scanning every patch. Both struggled to find the right line, since the monster didn't stop shifting on the ground. In frustration, the pirate ripped more clothing to find something by the elbow, at least. Soon enough, he stabbed without aim into the flesh. It looked like, Grant had no idea what he was doing, but the dhampire followed his example and cut the fabric on the other arm with a few swipes. In the next second, the left lower arm came off with a splash. Then a roar from the creature and like syrup, the blood poured out, dark and thick. After that, the other arm fell and with its' last remaining strength, the monster flipped its' torso to throw the duo off.  
It was enough of a surprise for them to let go off their weaponry and they crashed on their backs.

Both Trevor and Sypha used this chance to dash forward.  
If there was a vital organ that could have been alive in this mess of flesh, it must have been the heart. Another strike of lightening to keep the monster in place before it would dare to roll on its' belly again. The hunter took hold of Alucard's sword on the run, using the momentum for the next jump on top of the chest. Without waiting for another second, he rammed the blade right into the middle. More and more of the metal buried inside the flesh, parting and cutting anything on its' way. As soon as the blade pierced the heart – and Trevor guessed that he did by the sudden reaction of the beast –, he could feel how the entire torso shook and trembled in an instant. The rest of its' body shifted on the ground, the head leaning left and right before also this stopped.

Trevor allowed the sword to slip out of the lifeless body.  
Some of the dark blood quelled out of the wound without much power. Yet, something lighter bubbled up between the thick liquid. The hunter knelt to pick it out with his thumb and forefinger. It was all sticky, it took a little force to get out, but once the blood had dripped on his palm, he was met with the familiar sight of the red orb. As much as it had disgusted the companions, they couldn't help their curiosity and joined Trevor's side. He didn't take his eyes off the orb, watching the fog with the beast before he held out the sword to the side for Alucard to take.  
"Thanks."  
That was all that Trevor could say and soon enough, the dhampire took his weapon back, the hand shaking a bit. His blade was soon cleaned with his cape, he was somewhat nauseated by the sticky blood on his sword. At least, it was useful to defeat the enemy, so there was nothing to complain about.

"So, beyond these gates are the bridges of peril?"  
Sypha was the first one to raise her voice again.  
Trevor let the orb slip into the sack with the others and turned to face the gates. With a low sigh, he slid down from the cold body of the beast.  
"Possibly." Alucard put his sword away and blocked the smell of the blood, rotten and foul. He watched how the hunter as well as Grant were sitting down by another wall, leaning back to catch a breath. "I can't imagine much else, but it would be better to test our theory after we take a rest, wouldn't you agree?"  
"We don't have much of a choice, do we?", chuckled Sypha as she was out of breath herself. At that, the prince offered her to sit down with a gesture.  
The door, through which they burst in, would lead to an abyss with the remains of what once was the main tower. There wasn't another route to take than the one before them.  
"I feel like that this is a sentence that is muttered often among you."  
Was that a chuckle coming from Alucard's side?  
Honestly, Sypha couldn't quite tell and she wasn't going to question that. If he was amused during these days, it was a good sign. To avoid being disappointed in her assumption, Sypha preferred not to dig deeper.

As awful as the air smelt from the rotten remains of the large enemy, the companions were glad to find another moment of silence.  
Here and there, they would talk a bit to get things off of their mind while they checked and treated their wounds. Whatever was causing the tower to collapse or who placed the army of knights and gargoyles there. The mere existence of this creature who was created with the remains of others and brought back to life somehow. It was frightening to know that Lord Dracula had no respect for life and nature. Simply creating and letting others create unholy monsters to burn everything down.  
Nothing was sacred anymore.  
But what was one to expect from the Lord of Darkness who swore vengeance on God?

To keep fighting on.  
This was their mission to prove that light would always triumph over the dark. There was nothing that would defeat what God had created in His glow.

"Lay down, Trevor."  
Grant groaned and rubbed his temple from exhaustion. It was clear that the hunter was in thoughts and he needed some distraction. "We'll nap for a bit and we could eat. As long as we are safe here, we can use the time." The pirate could tell in the other's gaze that he was worried. Trevor had the need to shift back on his feet and keep on going. "The world won't be gone if we rest for now. We won't perform well if we keep on running without thinking."  
Trevor could get behind this kind of logic. It was by now that the hunter noticed how tensed his entire frame had been and letting his muscles relax had him tremble.  
Yet, it was Alucard who felt like making a remark: "I wouldn't have expected such wisdom from this vigilante."  
The pirate glared at him, but swallowed his own comment and leaned back to rest against the wall. There was no point in fighting and maybe Alucard was a bit disappointed.  
Either that or he couldn't have kept back his banter.  
Sypha and Trevor looked at each other, expecting for the other two to start arguing again. Yet, silence fell over them and their tension loosened soon enough. It was good to know that the group could find peaceful moments even when they could spot the corpse of their foe out of the corner of their eyes.


	10. Stream

Tadaah! Now that NaNoWriMo is over, I can get back to everything else!

So, there you go! Have a long chapter as a reward for missing the upload in November. I was contemplating to split it, but couldn't decide if I should, so I let the coin decide.

Hope that you have fun either way and I'll see you around! :D

* * *

~ 6-1: Stream

How were all these areas connected and holding up?  
Before them extended a maze of bridges and waterways. It all hung above some abyss that seemed to have no bottom. Somehow, there were pools of water here and there, but nothing fit together, had no rhyme or reason.  
Some architect must have gone mad at some point, designing this wretched place. At least, that was the only explanation that would make sense to them with the sight. All the pillars, broken or not, by the sides connected by arches which were also broken at times. From above other hills, there were waterfalls spilling down from or over the arches.

"Where do we even begin?" Sypha approached the first bridge before them. Her eyes scanned the water underneath it, her body tensed up from being so close to the edge.  
Everything would fall down into the abyss, but the streams took different routes. As clear as this circumstance was, their own route wasn't. This place had to lead anybody somewhere else besides to their deaths. It wouldn't be like Dracula to leave any space unused. Everything had to be connected so that his senses could pick up anything that shifted in his realm.  
"It's safe to say that we need to strive forward to see if there is any path for us to take", mumbled Trevor while he took a look around them for enemies. For now, he couldn't see if anything was hiding from them. "And watch out that we don't slip on the bridges. I don't know how fast the streams are here, but I am willing to admit that I am not the best swimmer." The priestess turned and frowned at that last sentence, but she wasn't equipped to swim either. In all honesty, the only one who would stand a chance would be Grant. Considering how Alucard, in his very being as a vampire, wasn't going to last long either. It belonged to one of the few ancient curses that vampires had to live with. Anything that represented life and its' flow, would work against them.

With careful steps, the companions walked on the first bridge one after another. Their hands were already on their belts and for good reason. The only place where any monster could have hidden was in the water. From one side shot out a creature and landed right before them. In its' looks, it resembled some form of merman if its' head wasn't resembling a fish. At least, the creature stood on two legs like a human, though the body was covered in scales and fins. Not that they had much time to ponder what kind of fish it was, since the foe leaned forward to spit at them. The spit was at such speed that it became a projectile, hard enough to throw Trevor back who was walking in front. Luckily, it wasn't difficult to deal with the enemy, it was a floppy foe. Sypha whacked it with her staff which was enough to hurl it back into the water. To know that the fish creature was weak could mean that there was more of its' kind to make up for the lack of strength.

"You feeling okay?" Grant helped the hunter back up on his feet. With a groan, Trevor rubbed his chest. The attack left quite some pressure on it still, but everything was intact. The biggest damage would be a painful looking bruise.  
Yet, he could see the actual danger behind it: being launched into the water. It was their realm after all and they wouldn't stand any chance.  
"We'll need to be quick about this then. At least, as quick as we can be on this slippery surface...", mumbled Trevor as he allowed for Alucard to take the lead of the group. Equipped with a sword and quick reflexes, he could react better if another merman showed its' face.  
And it didn't take long for this to occur. In fact, there were more than enough to keep them occupied. The further they got on the bridge, the more attention they drew to themselves. One could call it curiosity from the monsters, others would say that they were guarding it.  
But whatever it was, Trevor would not care for the reason.  
His Vampire Killer would be the first and last thing that they had seen once they decided to jump out of the stream. This was becoming target practice for each of them, dodging and attacking the foes. They were trying their best to stand in their way and have them fall, but the companions wouldn't have any of it. A single soldier alone would have been overwhelmed by the number of mermen, that was for sure. Together, as a group, their quest had some steadiness to it.

If only that could be said about the bridges.  
So far, they couldn't find a single intact one. The end of their own broke off into nothingness and they couldn't see the other end of it either. So, they would need to check if they could climb up to another or jump down on another surface. The next possible path was better from above, so it seemed.  
"We might get a better view from that space anyway. It's harder to get to, though it proves to be more effective." At least, that's what Trevor hoped would happen. There wasn't any protest coming from the others. Not that they had much of a choice. Both Alucard and Grant climbed and jumped up to give assistance to the other two.

Now, if one were to ask them if this position was any better than before, they wouldn't be able to tell them. Up above were another couple of bridges to find and even higher pillars. If there was an end to this, it might be as high as the abyss was steep. Yet, what did attract their attention was a couple of lights in the distance. They couldn't quite make out what it was, but this kind of gathering could only mean one thing.  
"Civilization?" Grant turned to glance at his peers to see if they had the same thought crossing their minds. By their thoughtful expressions, they were pondering about the same.  
"Seeing how infested this place is makes me doubt that anybody even lives down there...", replied Sypha and crossed her arms. Yet, she couldn't tear her gaze away from the lights down in the valley. It was still far ahead, beyond this maze of bridges. The lights were a cluttered mess of shining dots in the middle of the dark.  
The pirate tilted his head at that and followed her gaze. "But it does make you wonder how demons would need this much light. In fact, wouldn't you think that they would feel more comfortable in a place that has no light to begin with? Creatures of darkness and all…"  
Trevor remembered how in Warakija Village, the monsters didn't use that much light either. Only a circle around a bonfire which didn't offer natural light anyway. The hunter pulled out the map which they had gotten from General Roman a while back and folded it open. His companions huddled behind him to give directions where they would be located. Indeed, there was another group of rivers in the map by some sort of city and even the Curse Castle was drawn in. Trevor's stern expression hardened. "Look, the city has been crossed out… How come that there seems to be life still?"  
Grant gave a shrug. Usually, the troop of General Roman did a proper job. It didn't sound like a particular mistake that they would make with a city of considerable size. "Perhaps the group found it invaded, but they were somehow chased away and the people won it back?" The chance was unlikely, yet the only possibility if there were to be humans found there. "I suppose, we have to head towards the city. Which will lead us downwards into the valley anyway and see for ourselves." The pirate didn't sound convinced of his own words. Not sure what he disliked more: not knowing what they'd face or running right into the arms of danger.

For now, it was other couple of mermen that stood in their way and ,from some pillars, dived down crows. Their red eyes were immediately spotted in the shadows. How they focused on the companions only to peck and claw after them. The birds were more of a nuisance than anything to give the mermen a better opportunity against them. Again, it was their number that was more troubling than their powers. Having too much going on was leaving them with scratches indeed. Though the path allowed two of them to stand next to one another, making fighting more efficient. While one would keep the crows off, the other would kick and slash the mermen out of their way. At times, the creatures attempted to spit water at them from the surface without jumping out. A test of patience and concentration rather than strength and wits. Even if they didn't hit any of the warriors, they would make the ground slippery with the spit.

There had to be a better ground to get on. Another fireball from Alucard's hand towards a merman that dared to stick its' head from the surface. Not that this did a whole lot, considering how the beast was covered in water. Here and there, Sypha would use her electricity to keep the mermen away from jumping out. The energy fried them, but the water was too deep to reach all the way down. Thus, the beasts would wait for an opportunity to well up again. The priestess couldn't do this all the time if she wouldn't want to be drained in a matter of moments.

"Over there! I can spot a house!", called Alucard out in surprise. The companions followed his gesture with their eyes. They could vaguely make out a shape on top of one of the hills. A roof, a chimney and a block underneath. "If it holds at least one wall, we can plan our strategy there!" This was even more confusing than the city down the valley, finding a house in the middle of this maze. But having some sort of shelter would be more than welcomed in this crazy mess of a path. With a nearer goal in mind now, the group moved more quicker towards it. With some difficulty, they climbed the nearest pillar upwards and one after another jumped from the top unto the ground.

Having actual earth underneath their feet rooted them a little. It wasn't much less slippery, but from here, the mermen couldn't reach them anymore. A few of the crows still followed along, yet like this, the companions were able to fight them with more ease now. The rest of the feathered foes were chased away by the sight and they could only hear their cries in the distance.  
When they had carried themselves upwards the hill, they found a lonely hut at the top of it. Fully intact, that was. Some of the windows were broken and it held a hole here and there, but the condition was far better than what they knew of. When the warriors reached the door, they could hear a couple of sounds coming from the inside. Someone slipped around, bumping into things while it tried to navigate itself in the dark. When Trevor was about to grab the knob, the door was slammed open and the group staggered back. In the light of their lamp, the figure was revealed to be an old man. His eyes were wide open, glaring at the group while his wrinkled hands clutched to a metal pole.  
"Who are you? What are you doing here?!", he hissed while his entire frame shuddered in place. His gaze wandered between them, even more disbelief was spreading across his face. He didn't expect to see people as much as they didn't expect a survivor in this maze.  
The priestess stepped forward with her empty hands lifted in the air. "Fear not, old man. We have come across this hut during our travel and were curious to see if we could find shelter here. We did not expect to find anyone living in here. But we are more than glad to find life that wasn't created by the Lord of Darkness." Her voice held something calm and soothing, enough for the old man to stop shuddering. Yet, his distrust was still found in his expression and they couldn't blame him for it.  
"How do I know that you aren't working for the spawn of Hell?!" He did spot the cross necklaces on Trevor and Sypha which had him lower his pole. "You work in the name of God? There is nothing to find for you in this forsaken land. It would be wiser for you to leave if you cherish your life." The old man was about to turn in the door and close it on them when Sypha raised her voice once again with concern.  
"Then why do you decide to stay in this place? It holds nothing of value to you and you would be safer somewhere else." How did this man even find food around here? Perhaps he would hunt for the monsters. They weren't too difficult to kill after all and the man still held a stature that would speak for him being a hunter.  
At that, the old man spat on the ground beside him. "Somewhere else? Don't mock me, priest. There is no place in this world that is safe from the Curse. Everything is polluted: the ground, the water and the people. Everything that was once sacred is now defiled and we will meet the apocalypse soon as it is written. I am sure you know what part of the Holy Book I am talking about." Then he proceeded to knock on the wooden frame to keep the bad luck away. When Sypha couldn't find the right words at once to help him with his troubled mind, the man let out a sigh and waved them in. "Come. If it is shelter you seek, you shall receive it for a while. Company is rare these days, I tell you."

As it was, the old man didn't have much hope himself anymore. Alucard sniffled a few times from the dried garlic that the man kept above the doors. Not that he was going to mention that he was a vampire, even if only half. The rest of the interior design was a mess if you could even call it a design. Few stools were thrown over, the table was missing one half while everything on the shelves was either on the ground. The old man, who introduced himself as Sorin, immediately took place in a corner where the only standing stool was. With his metal pipe clutched close to him, he watched the group with wary eyes. Grant approached the chimney and let his fingers run over the fireplace.  
"It's all cold and moldy…" The pirate turned to face Sorin and frowned. "When was the last time that you used this?" The pot above it was cold and rusty. Grant couldn't make out the insides of it anymore, most of it was rotten and covered in a coat of moss.  
"Can't." Sorin shifted in his seat as if a shudder ran down his spine at the thought. He looked left and right, out of the window. "What if the beasts will spot me here? Better sleeping in a cold room than being dead." He spat out once more. The group glanced at one another, unsure what to make of this behavior.  
"The mermen don't survive long outside the water. And the crows react to people crossing their territory rather than seeing light. You should be safe in here", explained Trevor as he crossed the room to join Grant. It would be better to make a fire and warm themselves up. They could attempt to make supper with what they had with them and what they could find lying around in the house.  
"No! You must not make it any lighter in here! I'm enough at danger!" Sorin was starting to tremble which had Sypha sit beside him. With slow movement, she took hold of one hand and placed it between her own. His fingers were thin and cold, the knuckles whitened from having tensed so much. Sorin wouldn't calm down much in the hold, but he did let out a few sighs that helped his breathing.  
"We assure you that even if we are spotted, we will fight the monsters. We are out traveling to confront the Lord of Darkness himself and make him pay for his sins." The strength in her words was enough to make him glance back at her in silence. His disbelief was mixing with the hope that she was speaking the truth to him. Then Sorin squeezed her hand back and his shoulders as well as his head slumped down. His condition was horrible and his mind most likely messed with as well. Coming out unharmed out of these experiences was impossible and they wouldn't even wish to ask what had happened.  
Alucard had taken the pot from the fireplace and went for the door. "I will clean this by the stream so that we may have a bit of warm food." The hunter was almost looking alarmed at these words and stepped to the door. Before he could even open his mouth to speak of his concern, the prince nodded and added: "You may follow me if you like. In the meantime, the others can get a fire going." With that, Alucard wasn't going to be stopped in his tracks and Trevor resigned by following him instead. Grant glanced after them with a frown. With Sypha needing to keep Sorin quiet and calmed, it was up to him to use these pieces of wood to make a fire.

"The man has gone quite mad, hasn't he?" This statement from Trevor was less of a question than a fact. Alucard bent with the pot to clean it out with the water.  
"Indeed. To be honest, I haven't expected much else. If anybody survived these attacks, they ought to go crazy at some point", the other responded without taking his eyes away from the task. "We can only hope to not end up like this as well over the course of our journey."  
"That won't be easy then." The hunter sat beside him and watched the water. His hand was already on his belt, waiting to take the Vampire Killer out when necessary. "I feel like that we are all already haunted by nightmares. At least, we have one another to talk to." Who knew what Sorin did to fight the loneliness of his existence; talking to the garlic maybe. Everyone else in the area was most likely dead anyway. So, no one could blame the old man for losing his mind and believing that the end was near. Then again, with all the imagery around, it wasn't hard to imagine how the final judgement would approach.  
The dhampire checked the insides of the pot while he spoke with a calm voice as if he was getting used to the situation. "We are lucky to travel in a group. Even if we happen to move slower, it gives us a couple more advantages for battle. And our minds, of course." Trevor could tell that Alucard wasn't exactly the type to be around people. He was having difficulty getting used to this group, but his duty towards his mission gave him enough courage. To know that they accomplished this much together lifted Trevor's spirits. The prince glanced up at him for a moment and could see that pride exactly which had him silent for a moment.  
"It was a good idea to join your group. I have faith that, together, we can finally put an end to all the cruelty of my father. It carries a hint of fate that I can assist a Belmont in this holy mission again." While speaking, Alucard had avoided his gaze once more. Perhaps it took him a bit more energy to admit to this than he'd like the hunter to know. Not that Trevor minded. In the meantime, a merman peaked out of the water at which he grabbed a rock and hurled it its' way, forcing the monster to go back under the surface. Alucard hadn't even flinched at this quick encounter.  
It took the hunter another moment to go back to his previous thought. "It is a mission passed down on us by God and our ancestor Leon Belmont. It would be a great dishonor to both if I was to ignore this." Trevor spoke with such pride about his duty and bloodline that Alucard couldn't help but scoff at that. Was this supposed to be a laugh?  
The prince took back the now cleaned pot and stood up again. "You sound just like your mother." Alucard didn't wait for any sort of answer and turned to make his way back to the hut while Trevor could only glance after him.  
"Is it that obvious?" Then, with a bit of a frown, he followed right away. Not that Alucard was going to give him an answer to this question. Other than another scoff, that was.

It's been a while since Sorin has had proper food. As they guessed, he has been living off of mermen flesh. At the question whether it was healthy to eat or not, they didn't get a clear answer.  
"It is what it is!", he would reply and wave off their concerns. "They taste like fish anyway! I don't think about it too much, since I would rather not starve!" This was the first time that they actually heard Sorin laugh. Yet, they didn't know if this was a laughing matter... The meat might as well be poisonous and mess with his head even more, but there wasn't much argument in it. After all, starving was a terrible alternative and there wasn't any wildlife around.  
At least, they were able to find a few spices and dried vegetables to add to the stew that they were attempting. It was all a mess of yellowish grey, but it had been so long since they have all had some form of soup.  
"Maybe we should mix in some garlic!", chuckled Sorin at which the group had to force itself not to stare at Alucard right away. It wasn't something that could bring death or any great reaction out of hum, yet it wasn't healthy.  
"We should keep it above the doors." An awkward cough from his side. The poor dhampire couldn't even look him in the eyes when he said so. "We would want to be safe, just in case." This logic was flawed. There was no amount which was said to keep off demons, but Sorin was right on track as if this was the most logical step.  
"Ah yes, we can't keep our guard down! Good thinking, buddy!" To hear somebody refer to Alucard as their 'buddy' was amusing. The dhampire didn't carry the presence of someone easygoing, but the companions couldn't deny that they had to keep back laughter. Another cough from Alucard. Surely, he had noticed their initial reaction to it.  
Other than that, the meal proceeded more peaceful than anybody would have expected it. The former distrust from Sorin had faded away completely. He was feeling at ease with his space again now that the light and warmth from the fire surrounded them. Now, not even the sounds from the streams were this unsettling anymore. But they were a constant reminder of what they should be doing. While they slurped on their soups, Sypha couldn't keep her curiosity in. "Do you know anything about the city up ahead?"  
Sorin hesitated in his movement before he let his spoon fall back in the bowl. His tired eyes were fixed on the soup. "I have never seen that city for myself... I have heard that it was taken over by demons rather quick... Lately, I have noticed more and more lights coming from there, but I can't tell if that's a good sign or not." Another glance coming from each of them. If there were people down there, then this would be the last line of defense before they would head for Dracula's Castle.  
"Have you thought about investigating yourself? Do you know the way to it?" Of course, they couldn't expect for an old man to go down to the place himself. Yet, he was on his own for so long that he must have had some survival skills. At these questions, Sorin scratched his chin and tilted his head.  
"No, not really... I don't trust what's going on down there... I don't know what kind of sorcery is going on... Besides, the Hydra protects the path to the valley and you can't expect me to fight such a beast on my own." A mythological beast, the Hydra. Some form of dragon with many heads attached to long necks. The most known story about one was from the Ancient Greek tale of Hercules. At least, that was what Sypha explained when Trevor threw a puzzled gaze into the round.  
"Lord Dracula seems to have liking for Greek mythology, so it seems..." That was his only comment to that while he remembered the Medusa or the Cyclops. Sorin shuddered at the mention of his name and crossed himself many times, but wouldn't dare to speak of him. It was as if the name alone could give him more power.  
Alucard leaned back in his chair and placed the bowl down. As someone with almost no appetite, he was quick with eating. "I suppose, he isn't too happy with seeing his minions do random experimentation. Having some sort of model to work after is easier than coming up with an unholy creation on their own. The Devil Forgemasters are skilled, but only few of them. Most of them don't even manage to create living creatures. And when it works halfway, you get something like this large man beast from the Curse Castle." And anybody with dark powers such as his in their blood were able to do this kind of work on their own. The Forgemasters had joined Dracula's army and studied it instead of having it within them. Thus, their work was often… Flawed. Inspiration from Ancient Greek stories wasn't uncommon at this point.  
Sorin crossed himself at this tale. "What has humanity done to deserve such punishment? Has God forsaken us and left us in this man made Hell?" His entire frame slumped forward, barely keeping it together. Sypha edged to his side and rubbed his back for comfort while she checked on him.  
"This world has not yet fallen into the hands of Satan. This is meant to test our strength and faith, not to leave us behind. God has created us in His image, you would think that He gave us more power than that. The Lord knows of our strengths, of what we can do. So, He can put His trust in us to withstand these horrors that clawed up from Hell. If He can trust in us, then so we should as well." The determination had the old man shudder and he grabbed unto his own cross necklace. Sypha let her hand slip away from his back to leave him with his thoughts.  
"Thank you, Father. I think, I needed that talk." Sorin shook his head in defeat. It didn't sound like that he believed his own words, but it was enough to bring over his lips. The priestess appreciated it with a gentle smile and let him be with his thoughts. And not only did the old man soak up these words, but also the companions who let it run through their minds. It wasn't impossible, no, barely conquerable at best. Yet, the fact that God brought them together was a sign. This wasn't meant for a task done on its' own and that was the initial mistake that the group had made. What a blessing it was to have met Trevor, pulling them along and each of them thought about how they even came this far.  
Was it luck, skill or fate then? Possibly, it was a mix of all.

When they had finished their lunch, the group rearranged their strategy once more while Sorin was strolled up and down the hut. No one stopped the old man from doing so. There was no point when he was nervous, stuttering about the end of the world being near and how the demons would reign. Sypha always tried to motivate him to sit back down, but he wouldn't listen.  
"There is no way around it then, we have to get past the bridge with the Hydra to make it down the valley to the city." Her attention was pulled back by Trevor who leaned over the map which he spread across the table. Both Grant and Alucard stood by his side and followed his gesture with their eyes.  
"We could try to find an alternative path to get to it? I am not too keen of fighting against a giant dragon like monster", mumbled Grant in response and twisted his lips a little.  
Alucard rolled his eyes. "We can't run around all day and night. It might take us more energy for all the climbing and jumping than actually trying to defend ourselves from the Hydra. There is no need to kill it for there will be no water at some point. So, like the mermen, we can outrun it if we are clever enough about it." He glared at the pirate, there was almost something challenging to it. "Not exactly easy for you, I know, but I think that even you could manage."  
At that, Grant ground his teeth. He was trying to keep his comment back for the sake of the plan and that alone amused Alucard more than he'd like to admit. "Believe me, I manage on my own just fine."  
Trevor groaned, he wasn't planning on having them argue right now, so he raised his voice. "That is what we will do then. Maybe Sorin can tell us more about where to go, since he is the only one who lives around here. Well, and someone that we can talk to."  
Sorin caught them speaking about him and he stopped pacing around before he stumbled to another closet. In worry, Sypha joined him and questioned what he was doing, but Sorin waved her off.  
"Need to concentrate!" That was what he would say and the priestess left him this much space. If it was for a knife that he was reaching, she would be there to defend them. Yet, it was no knife nor any other kind of weapon, but a piece of parchment that was revealed in the light. There was childish pride on his face as he presented it to her. "This might help you! If you are to cross the bridge into the valley, it would be useful!" Sypha took the map from his hands and let her eyes scan whatever was on it. The map showed a close-up from the area that they were in, including the city and the Curse Castle. There were more paths on it, some hunting huts and churches added in as well. It wasn't worked over like their own, it all looked so peaceful in comparison.  
"T-This is great!", Sypha exclaimed and showed him a bright smile. Yet, concern followed when Sorin got back on his legs and started pacing around. "Is everything quite all right?" Again, the mumbling of the devil and his minions. It was as if he had forgotten what he had done and said.  
What a pitiful sight.  
The priestess got back on her feet and had him stop, making him look at her eyes. "Sorin, do you wish to give us this map? To help us in our mission?" The old man stared at her perplexed. One could already tell that he was trying to remember what happened moments ago. Then he finally nodded, his eyes still wide open as if afraid what would happen if he said no.  
"Yes… Yes, you wish the path… To the Hydra? To get down?" His voice shook so much that they were afraid that he was going to collapse at any second. Yet, some of his memory did return to him, it seemed. "To travel?" Sypha made him sit and Sorin didn't fight back to any of it. Neither of them were sure if he was capable of helping them now. That included getting up and traveling over bridges filled with monsters. When the priestess stepped back, the old man clung to the sleeves of her robe. "Please… Don't leave me behind… I need to know that… You make it through."  
"Sorin… We can take you to the city if you wish. Then you don't have to be by yourself anymore." The old man shook his head at the suggestion, crossing himself while his eyes filled with tears.  
"There is nothing for me anymore... The end of the world... It is near..." He took his face between his hands and started to sob which tore on the priestess more than she expected. She knelt next to him and rubbed his back again, hoping that it would root him back to reality.  
"What can we do to give you relief? To give peace to your mind?" Trying to assist him in the madness of his mind while he battled his own fear of death and despair. Sorin slumped over once more and then glanced up from his hands. His eyes had reddened from crying, the pale cheeks carried a bit more color to them.  
"Is there a way to stop the Curse? Would you be able to do so?" If they weren't standing close to him, they wouldn't have heard a single word. It was low enough to be a whisper, it carried no strength whatsoever. Trevor took the initiative then and moved to sit by his side, taking his hand to draw attention to him.  
"Believe me when I say that each of us will strive to bring back light to this land." His blue eyes sparked with such determination that it left Sorin baffled but he was unable to look away. "We will defeat the Lord of Darkness and make him pay for what he has done. By God, we will do everything in our power to fight for we have nothing else to lose anymore."  
Which was the truth after all. There was nothing else in this world if no one was to stop Lord Dracula. They would all perish at the hand of monsters. One after another, because running away wouldn't work forever. "If you wish to help us, we would be more than grateful to do so. If not, there is no harm in staying behind. You are safe in this hut and you can have light." They were all impressed that Sorin was able to survive for this long on his own anyway. There were groups of people that were maimed by armies but somehow, the old man had found a safe haven. As safe as it could be in the maze anyway.  
It took the old man a moment to keep himself together. All the time, he would look back at Trevor as if he was trying to find something in his gaze. "I wish to… Help you." His breathing steadied at that point, at least. Sorin was finding some of his previous confidence back. "I want to know that… Everything will be fine in the end. I want to know that you can make it."  
There was a bit of a smile on Trevor's lips at that. The old man was stubborn, he had to admit. But it was just the right amount to survive and keep oneself up in moments of despair. "It's a deal then. You show us the path to the final bridge and we make sure that you don't have to fear the outside anymore."  
The smile must have had something radiating to it. Sorin returned it weakly and he sniffled, then nodded and squeezed his hand back for the first time.  
"Deal."

Of course, it wasn't making it any easier to have an old man accompany them on their quest. They had to be especially careful even if Sorin said that he would be fine with his metal pole.  
"I have taken down these mermen by myself with my trusty weapon! I may be old, but I can defend myself quite well!"  
The group wasn't exactly doubting that, considering how he was still alive and kicking. Yet, they weren't so sure how far Sorin had traveled on his own. He knew enough about the maze to say what the most convenient passage was, at least. For someone who lost track of his own thoughts at times, he kept those directions safe in his mind.  
Their formation had to change as well. With Sorin in the middle, he would be protected from most foes while he would be able to take a swing at a crow sometimes. Sypha and Alucard were at the back to use their magic while Trevor and Grant kept the path free of mermen. The Vampire Killer reached far enough to hit far away targets while the pirate could slice and kick nearby enemies that would avoid the whip. It was slower this way, but with Sorin doing his best and cursing after the creatures, it was at least not only up to them.

Plus, the old man functioned well as a navigator. Everything was looking familiar to him.  
"I remember when all these bridges were still intact! What a sight that was!"  
Of course, he would ramble about it at times which didn't help their concentration at all. At any other point, which didn't involve travel and fighting, this might have proven itself to be interesting to them. But, this wasn't something meant to be shared in a maze where they could already hear the thunder in the distance. Their eyes would always spot the lights of the city in the distance. The closer that they got, the clearer the dots became. A once scrambled mess now a lake of lights which promised more than it would be able to keep. With this thought at the back of their minds and the navigation of Sorin, it gave them more power to go on. Having an obvious goal made it all less difficult. At least, a little.

At some point, Sorin was able to lead them to a broad bridge, wide enough to carry all five of them in a single row. The crows were already sitting by the fence by the sides, peeking left and right as if waiting for someone to cross.  
"Beyond this bridge, you will get down a hill to the final bridge where the Hydra dwells. Onward from that, it's a climb down into the valley." The old man stopped in his tracks as soon as they got to the rim of the bridge. Each of them stopped, too, to glance at him in confusion at which he lifted his hands in defense. "No, I will not go beyond this point any longer. I may be able to fight those fish faces, but anything bigger than that." He shuddered at the idea and held the weapon close to his chest. "I know that you will do well. Please make it back safe."  
Sypha, who stood by his side, took him by his shoulder and showed him the gentlest smile. "We promise. Once everything is over, you will be able to head back to other people and not fear the dark anymore. How would that sound?" If there was any way to return to Sorin after everything was done, it would be good to tell him that the terrors ended.  
At that, Sorin smiled to himself as if he could see it all already. "That would be wonderful. If I make it through the end of the world, I will invite you to my house again. Then we have proper food and not be afraid to take away the garlic anymore. I make the best stew in town, you know."  
One could tell that Alucard wasn't exactly used to soothing anyone. But by God, he was trying when he mimicked the priestess' gesture. "You know what? I think, that I will have to have a try of the stew then." That answer alone came out strained, but the old man didn't mind at all and showed his few teeth in a grin.  
"It's a promise then, buddy!"  
They each bid their goodbyes to him. Each of them tried to reassure themselves that Sorin would be able to make it back on his own, though he would wave them off with a frown. His previous cheerful mood had returned to him. Perhaps sparked by the idea that he would be able to see them again and find himself in a better place. A better future, this was what they all aimed for, the promise of a better tomorrow. Finding a single person still kicking and fighting for his life in the middle of this mess, it gave them hope. As strange as that might have sounded.

Without the old man's banter between them, the journey continued on grimmer. Now the sound of the thunderstorm resounded in their ears and the countless streams around them deafened their thoughts. It was almost pleasant to hear the cries of the crows that were now attacking them. Another round of target practice, feathers flying around them like snow. Beneath the bridge were the mermen that kept shooting their spit against the stone. With enough pressure, they were able to break right through it. Yet, they weren't only aiming for the bridge, but also for the pillars holding it up.  
"Do they always have to make everything crumble under our feet?!", cried out Grant as he threw his arms up in the air in frustration.  
It was as if he summoned the reaction, the bricks behind them were tumbling into the stream. Another curse dropped from his lips before they turned and sped down the bridge. This was a nice change for the crows which would dash down on them, landing a scratch here and there. The priestess tried to focus on her magic once more, but in this hectic scenario, she couldn't summon much. Her concentration broke off quick and even Alucard was having difficulties. Yet, the attacks of the mermen came in handy at times, those being blocked by the crows whenever they dived down. It bought them some time, enough for them to burn up more energy to cross the bridge and finally feel earth under their feet again.

Having to stop their run was almost impossible. The momentum threw almost threw them off, their knees trembling from the adrenaline.  
"We fight less than we actually run... I didn't think that this would become such a marathon", panted Alucard as he glanced around, making sure that there was beast crawling close.  
Grant snorted at these words, trying to downplay how deep he was breathing. "You were t-the one who suggested running from the Hydra to get out of here…", he sneered and stemmed his hands on his hops. The dhampire growled lowly to himself.  
"You can't compare the mermen with the mythological beast of the Hydra. The difference is quite striking, mind you." At that, Alucard didn't get any other answer out of him except for noises of mockery as if the pirate was imitating him. Another groan from Alucard, but he wasn't going to play along.  
"We have bigger problems to worry about, children. We have places to get to and a Hydra to avoid", Sypha sneered as she passed them, not even glancing once at them. That was enough to draw their attention to her and distract them from their argument. Without giving any sort of reply, Trevor followed right in her tracks and the two of them were making their way to the final bridge. The other duo could only watch for a moment, awestruck by their own behavior before they would follow up, not even daring to say a word anymore.

There was something intimidating to the last bridge.  
It was just as broad, at least, while the color of the stones was darker. Either that or the lights of the city were too bright in contrast. The looming abyss was right ahead, a grim reminder that there was death beyond the streams still. Speaking of which, it seemed even quicker than before. The water crashed against the side of the bridge in an attempt to make its' way through. It almost looked like it was some form of dam and without it, the stream would get out of control.  
But the Hydra wasn't one to hide. With its' size, it would have been quite an impossible task anyway. Two heads emerged from the water, half of the body could be spotted from the surface. Its' throats were long and bulgy as if knots of flesh were stacked together and covered in dark red scales. The two heads loomed over them from above, the massive frame threw a shadow on them while the water dripped down from the frame like rain.  
"At least…", Grant began with his voice failing him almost immediately. He swallowed thickly while his fingers pulled forth his daggers. "At least, they didn't add more heads like it is said in the myth…"  
Like this, the monster was enough of a handful anyway. Unfortunately, it was very well aware of the travelers' intentions and the Hydra raised its' tail out of the water. While one head was focused on them, the other glanced ahead the bridge. The monster then smashed the tail against the bridge, leaving a hole between them and the abyss. Sypha sent a bolt of lightning its' way and the impact had the Hydra shudder, though it didn't leave it in place for long. It seemed like motivation for the monster to show its' own tricks and both heads spewed fire their way. In surprise, the companions escaped in different directions. Each of them could feel the heat along in the breeze, carrying over. The flames dried the water and a thin layer of ash was over the stones. The sight of the stream alone was intimidating enough. From the front, Sypha called out to her friends, clinging to the fence out of reflex.  
"I will try to create a floor of ice to connect the two parts of the bridge! You will have to keep it distracted."  
The distance was too far to jump and it wouldn't help Alucard if he would have been the only one to glide over. As a bat, he couldn't carry anybody else even with the unnatural size of it. But exactly that might prove itself to be useful for the current situation. Alucard, who was near her, had heard well and understood right away at which he turned and flapped upwards.  
The Hydra instantly got a sight of it. One head was trying to snap after the bat while the other was aiming and spitting fire after it. But, Alucard was quick enough to dodge under and above the attacks.  
Trevor did not have as many opportunities to act, but he wasn't going to sit back either. The Holy Whip lashed out to harm the scales, though it took quite a few strikes before the Vampire Killer was able to tear skin. Its' skin was rough and steady, not easily pierced. This was also proven by Grant's daggers from which only a few blades were able to get through and between the scales.  
"How did the story of the Hydra work?", asked Trevor when the pirate was near. Grant didn't even turn in place and tried to search and aim for weak spots. "How did they defeat it in the story?"  
Grant's expression darkened at the memory. It was part of the Hercules legend, the Hydra one of the many enemies.  
"Well, whenever they cut off an head, two would grow back in its' place. Not recommended, but they figured if they were to burn the stump after chopping the head off, it worked. Not sure if we can get that close and not exactly what we can expect from ourselves. In this position especially."  
Trevor wasn't too happy to hear about it. The solution wasn't much use if they didn't have a method to execute it.  
"Running away it is then? Waiting for the ice bridge of ours to get the hell out of here?"  
"Afraid so, yes."

The Hydra was able to shift its' attention back and forth with the two heads. One swatted and bit after Alucard while the other spewed more fire at the duo on the bridge. The priestess was trying to keep hidden from the hungry eyes and had folded her hands. Her eyes were closed to gather as much energy as she could in this moment. Any crack would send them tumbling into the dark and who knew what would wait for them down there. Considering that one could survive that fall.  
Sypha blocked out every other sound, her mouth forming the words while cool air surrounded her fingers. All her power would be put into this. This was a risk in itself for she wouldn't be able to summon much else, but they counted on her for this to work. The cold surged in her chest, down to her stomach and laid like a blanket over her shoulders, taking hold of her. Her breath escaped her mouth in the form of white fog. With a swing of her arms, it was as if she rolled out a carpet of ice before her that connected with the stone on the other side. Her companions noticed so right away and sprinted towards it while Alucard kept the Hydra busy some more. Yet, with four eyes in total, it noticed something was off from the corner of its' view.

The most worrisome one was the person creating all this ice, so the tail reached out of the water and curled around the priestess. Before anyone could grab unto her to do anything to help her, the Hydra already pulled her back to its' side. One head glared at her pitiful form while holding her up. The other became occupied with Alucard who glided around it as a distraction.  
Yet, it wasn't only the dhampire taking action right away, Grant also made his wax towards the Hydra. He jumped from the low fence unto the beast and climbed up its' throat. Now that it could feel that something was on its' scales, the one head forgot about the bat and bit after the itch. Yet, the Hydra bit itself in the throat which had the monster cry out. Grant had already gotten further up and was holding on to the horns on the head. Another blade was flung from his hand and right into the eye. Two different kinds of liquid burst from the impact, one being blood and the other was rather clear. Grant hurled another dagger towards an eye of the other head and slid down the scales while the Hydra swayed in place. Sypha was being swung around, too, under the water and above the water. Her stomach was twisting and her frame froze after being drenched. The robe was heavy, her limbs growing weaker and her sight would fail her at times, but she did pot the pirate by her side a moment later. With the long dagger, he pierced the skin underneath the scales, causing the grip to weaken. With her last remaining strength, Sypha tried to push the tail further open.  
"You have to jump!", the pirate called as he struggled for breath, "I'll help you!" Sypha was about to complain, to ask about him, but he already got ready for his plan. In the next second, she couldn't even thank him. Instead, the priestess took a jump with the swing of the tail when it got near the bridge. At the same time, Grant had grasped her soles to push them forward, too, for the extra boost. Without much elegance, Sypha landed on the stones. The momentum threw her off, though it was Trevor who caught her. At least, she was prevented from falling into the stream on the other side.  
But what met their sight wasn't calming them in the least. The Hydra staggered in place, biting after itself while Grant tried to find a way to return to the bridge. Doing so from the tail was no option anymore, since it flailed in place too energetically now. Somehow, he would need to find he moment to cling to one of the throats and hope for the best. Yet, the Hydra was struggling in the water, swimming from side to side and further away from the bridge. It almost looked like as if the two heads of the Hydra were fighting over dominance. One leading the other in another direction which led to it spinning in place, then going forward and backwards. Grant could only pale and feel sick from the ride. His focus faded, yet his arms clung to the scales with whatever strength that he has had left.  
That alone wasn't of much use as the Hydra turned and crashed into what was the wall of the lake that separated the stream from the abyss. With its' massive body, it was able to leave cracks behind that widened in a matter of seconds. The power of the stream was immense enough to help the cracks finally break apart and the water burst down into the abyss. Unfortunately, the Hydra was too close to the new opening to fight back and instead was dragged along. All the might of the creature meant nothing and it was in the air for a moment before gravity pulled it down into the dark. And with it was the pirate that had no idea how to react other than clinging to whatever he could grasp.

With pure shock and disbelief, the three companions ran up to the side of the bridge. They tried to spot anything that was on the bottom of this abyss, but the night was too intense to make anything out. The hunter didn't find the strength in him to call his name anymore, the air was cut short and he could feel how he was lightheaded from terror and despair. Sypha could not conjure anything else either. Her trembling hands covered her mouth to muffle whatever she was able to press out somehow.  
"You go ahead over the bridge and reach the city."  
Surprisingly enough, Alucard had found his voice again. When they glanced at him though, they could see how his eyes were wide from the shock as well, his lips thinned and his entire frame tensed. "I will swoop down and see what happened. You have to get further… The ice won't stay here forever." The prince turned to face them, his determination showed in his hardened expression. He wasn't denying his fear to the others. No, they could see that he was afraid of finding out what laid down there and what was of the pirate. "Once everything is settled, I will head back for you… No, we will head forward to the city and meet you." It wasn't like he was believing his own words, but Alucard had to keep his hopes up. Not only for him, but for the others, too.  
"Is there... Is there any way that we can go with or help you?", stuttered Trevor as he struggled to put any volume in his words. Alucard shook his head at that and gestured towards the abyss.  
"You have no ability that would allow you to get down there alive. It would be of greater help if you were able to find out what is going on in the city. I trust that you both have enough skill to manage to gather something. If it is too much, I will meet you around the area anyway."  
The dhampire could see how Sypha was rubbing a few tears away. The initial shock and her own endangerment must have left her shaken. "Please, Alucard… Take care."  
"Will do. You, too."  
The duo couldn't tell if that had been a smile on Alucard's face or not. At least, his expression smoothed enough for them to know that their words did get to him before he turned into a bat and followed the abyss downwards. As they made their way over the ice bridge with sluggish steps, they couldn't help but follow him with their gaze until he was gone from their sight, too.

As heavy as the sounds were around them, they couldn't quite hear it so much anymore. Both of them were dragged down by their own thoughts while they were able to make their way down the valley. By a larger, dead tree, they have decided to sit down and catch their breaths. The oil lamp kept them company, it threw large shadows on the grass. By a flattened surface, they managed to make a fire to warm themselves up, so they could save some more of the oil. Especially the priestess could use some warmth after taking off the cloak which she hung on a branch. But when it came to her tunic, she would say that she was fine like this, that the cloth would dry quicker.  
Now the lights of the city looked mocking to them, a false promise that led them to believe that there was hope.  
And yet, there was.  
It was the only thing that they could cling to after all, to believe that Grant was somehow still alive and that Alucard would find his way back.  
"Everything will be all right."  
Trevor didn't know why he was speaking. Perhaps it was to calm himself, to soothe the other. He had also no idea how his voice was this steady at this point while his eyes were focused on the flames before them.  
"We will find our way. Our group hasn't met only to be torn apart right away."  
Sypha had her hands held against the warmth of the fire. She didn't trail her eyes away either.  
"It is an order given by God. The Lord won't have our fight be in vain and He will see what lengths we go to stay strong. This includes our companions. We can't leave them behind." After all, they only had one another in the end. In a way, it was sad to think like this, but at the same time, it was reassuring them. A little companionship of their own, to know that they weren't alone and could trust one another.  
"Lay down and get some rest. You have used most of your energy, so you need to sleep some first. This will keep you warm better, I hope", mumbled Trevor after a while as he took off his coat. This he handed to her.  
There was such stubbornness to Trevor that Sypha didn't even attempt to speak up against him. Then again, the priestess was exhausted, so the promise of sleep was far too tempting to deny it. "You will... Wake me up when you need to rest yourself, understood?" That was all that she could say against it while she laid down and covered herself with his coat. She could hear chuckling from his side.  
"Of course."  
And that was all that Sypha could accept. Her eyes were already closing as she picked up that answer. Tiredness washed over her quick and she did nothing to fight back.  
They had done quite their share of fighting so far today anyway.


	11. Aquarius

Long time no see! Uni has been quite a hassle lately, but I have finally found the time to properly edit this chapter!

So, no worries, this story keeps on going!

And I hope that you have fun either way! I'll see you around and hopefully sooner than last time :)

* * *

~6-2: Aquarius

While Alucard had descended into the abyss to find what was of Grant, the duo continued their march. There wasn't much sleep for either of them. Trevor was too eager, he would argue, not wishing to stop them on their mission while Sypha wold try to nap. The hunter wouldn't even listen to the priestess, he was quite a stubborn fellow on his own.  
"I can see how you have traveled on your own most of the time...",. she would mutter in jest, throwing him a glance at which he couldn't help but let out a bit of a laugh.  
"Yes, that was it, I guess." At least, that would sound nicer than being forced into exile and be an alien to current society. Trevor didn't add anything else to it anymore. He would rather indulge in being silly like this than ponder on his pitiful existence.

What did catch their attention though was how there was no enemy in sight on their path. Not that they necessarily needed one. It would be better to save their energy rather than having to deal with bats all the time. But it was expected at this point, they were getting closer and closer to Dracula's realm and no enemy right then.  
Instead, they could make out the lights of the city were coming from houses rather than fires.  
This was stranger even.  
If there were any people at that point, how were they able to fight back the army of Lord Dracula? Did they have powerful magic on their side? Perhaps it was even a blind spot on the map for the demons somehow.  
"Either that or they made a pact with the demon himself to be left alone...,. mumbled the priestess and pulled her staff closer to herself. At least, she spoke out what that two of them were thinking.  
Suddenly, the lights coming from the city looked a lot less inviting.  
The duo glanced at each other, wariness taking hold of them. "We should... Still investigate. If these happen to be survivors, we have a stronghold. If not... Well, I suppose that it is in our duty to find out what to do against it."  
"Only the two of us?" Trevor frowned and crossed his arms. The idea of taking on an entire city of their own didn't sit quite right with him. After all, there was only so much that they could do.  
"What? Is the almighty Belmont getting intimidated?" Sypha showed a bit of a smirk. She stemmed her hands to her hips and leaned over. "Also, what makes you think that I spoke about fighting them head on? Do you really think that I am this foolish to believe that we are strong enough to take down an entire city? I mean, I have trust in our powers, but I'm not an idiot."  
Right then, Trevor almost looked offended by her words, his cheeks changed in color, too. "I... I never said any of these things." He was embarrassed at this point, to say the least. But that didn't mean that he would admit to it. "Besides, I could fight more than one person. I survived on my own for years."  
The priestess tried not to laugh, he could see it in her expression. Indeed, he had sounded like a pouting child. Not that either of them were going to  
point that out right then. There were other matters to attend and other plans to be made.

None of their suspicions were eased when they got closer.  
The city was protected by high walls, though one could tell that the ground was falling once more.  
It was the "Sunken City" for a reason.  
The two of them could only see the lights of lanterns at the top of the walls now. At least, the color of the flames seemed to be of natural origin unlike the ones that the demons would use. When they drew close, it didn't take long for one of them to notice the duo on the ground.

"Ho, travelers!"  
To their surprise, when they glanced up, they saw the face of a human. The expression wasn't torn or bore any sign of a curse. Not even the skin was pale like it would be of a vampire.  
"What are you doing here at night? You must hold strength to arrive here! Either that or you are lucky!"  
The cloaked man even managed to laugh a bit at it. Not that either Sypha or Trevor had a change in expression.  
Yet, the priestess did take the chance to raise her voice. "We were, in fact, wondering how this is still standing in the mess of the Curse! Who are you and how did you defend yourself against the demons?" She wasn't attempting to hide any of her doubts, but the guard didn't seem to mind.  
The guard opened his arms as if to gesture to the walls and the land before him. As he did so, the light of the lantern wandered to the side, half of his frame covered in shadow. "By the grace of the Lord, of course! Our devotion blessed us with protection! But this is no time to talk... Tell me, travelers, have you devoted your life to the Lord, too?" It sounded so simple to his ears.  
Sypha would lie if she said that there wasn't something intimidating to these words. This pure belief and how he stood above them, convinced that he and his fellowship were blessed by God. She was used to more... Subtle demonstrations of faith.  
Trevor was glad that the priestess was with him to do all the talking. He wasn't exactly skilled when it came to that, he figured. Thus, Sypha continued on: "What a great display of faith! It is great to hear that we have found fellow believers in this cursed landslide! If you must know, I am a priest and wandering monk myself. To be finally among others of my kin again is a sign that the Lord has not forsaken me and my companion!" And trying to sound convincing as well while attempting to win his favor.  
It seemed like this answer had the guard overjoyed. They could hear him laugh once more. "Then let me welcome you in, fellow priest! We shall give you shelter in this horrible night!" Without waiting for an answer, the guard made his way through the stairways of the inner wall. The duo wasn't quite sure what to make of this situation and glanced at one another, sharing silent fears. They would have waited for their companions to catch up before entering, but who knew how long that would be. Perhaps, they would be allowed to ask the inhabitants if they could pick them up for a rest, too.  
Even so, Trevor placed one hand on the Vampire Killer, always ready to strike if this happened to be some sort of trap. Then there was Sypha who attempted to not appear as hostile. Because, in the end, it was true that she hadn't encountered a holy man during their journey. Sure, they would remain cautious, but passing up the chance to meet another group of people would be just as foolish.

To their right, a door opened a tad. The guard peeked at them and held out his lantern to inspect the duo better. When they drew closer, he would return to smiling at them.  
"Please... Follow me. I should drop you off quick, since I need to return to my post. The situation calls for caution after all, as you may understand..." He then opened the door wide and gestured for them to pass him. Another glance to each other, weighting their options.  
They could either camp outside with taking turns in staying awake or have shelter where the wind couldn't reach them.  
No cold, all walls around them with an intact roof, possibly. To have a bed again, an actual bed was tempting enough already.  
So the decision wasn't too hard.

What awaited them beyond the walls was a sight that they could have never expected.  
Indeed, the ground had sunken down, though far lower than what they could have made out from up above. There was actually quite a large hole in the earth with random bits of the ground sticking out of the walls. Supported by beams and stairs connecting the platforms, the people have built houses. Here and there, streams of water had burst from the sides where these waterfalls would end in a lake at the bottom. The streams, which they had passed before, must have found their way through the ground and into the valley to emerge in all sorts of places. From up there, they couldn't tell how many floors this city had, but the lights were many and the echo of the water hitting the lake was deafening.

"At the very bottom, we have a church where we go to pray and praise the Lord every morning!",. explained the guard, pride welling in his chest as he did so. His dark eyes showed a bit of awe for the priestess as well. "I am sure that it would be an honor for our priest if he was to conduct the next mass with you, Father!"  
"Well, if he so wishes, then I am glad to assist. It would be an honor for me as well." Sypha kept her tone neutral, not trying to feign any excitement herself. It was up to the priest of this city if he would be ready to team up with someone else. Sypha had met enough priests herself to know that some were rather... Territorial of their church, to put it mildly.  
Not that the guard seemed to be put off by that, he was delighted to hear that the priestess considered his idea. With that, he lead the way a couple of floors lower where they would find a building next to a couple of smaller huts.  
This was, noticing quick as they entered, the inn of the city. There wasn't much life buzzing in the main hall, but that was to be expected. People didn't travel anymore during the Curse and the only ones that would enter were the local folk to meet up.  
Not this night, however, as they found the living room empty and none of the tables occupied.  
It was a sad sight to Trevor somehow. He was used to these places being filled to the brim with loud folk even if they were often wary of his presence.  
Only the innkeeper, an old woman in her rocking chair, glanced up as the group entered. She didn't even bother to stand up and continued her knitting as if she was used to the guard visiting her.

"You picked up travelers? Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Her voice was raspy, always with a tint of disappointment behind every word.  
The companions almost felt bad for being on the spot like this. Thinking that they are the threat, not the other way around as the duo initially thought. Yet, the guard wasn't persuaded by her tone. "Of course! They are traveling in the name of the Lord as well! This man right here is even a priest! I was thinking that they could head down in the morning to meet Father Hector, too!"  
"Ever as excited as a child... I suppose that Father Hector will have to judge them in his own merit. Nothing that I could protest against anyway..." The elderly woman sighed and shook her head, never taking her eyes away from her work. She gestured towards a door by the counter. "Take the stairs and choose a room. You can guess that we don't have any guests around, so you pick your own room to stay in. First floor is what you want though, either rooms for one person or two. The rest is for larger groups and since the boy over there isn't staying..." Finally, she lifted her head. Her expression didn't speak of content. There was a rather scolding tone to her words when she added:. "He might as well return to his post before something unexpected happens." The guard flushed red out of embarrassment and nodded. With a sheepish smile, he faced the two of them and wished them a good night before heading out with quick steps.  
When the door fell shut again, Trevor allowed himself to raise his voice. The innkeeper returned to knitting nonetheless. "Thank you, Ma'am... I guess, we will... Head to our room then. Good night."  
"Yes, yes. You go to bed and whatnot. The night is long and cold in winter, so get some rest." Not that she seemed to be caring of them in particular, but there was enough in her to show some form of politeness. For her standards or this time of night, it was the best that she could conjure. With another couple of "thanks" from the duo, they made their way to the first floor.

The room was nothing to talk about.  
Two single beds in each corner by a window, a table by another wall and next to it a closet. It was as standard as it could get with its' wooden furniture and stains on the white walls. The duo preferred to concentrate on the moldy spots on the walls caused by the moist air of this city.  
"There is something soothing to the sound of the waterfalls, isn't it?",. began Sypha when she placed down the equipment by one of the beds. Indeed, they could still hear the echo of the waterfalls. The muffled sound reaching them through the closed window.  
Trevor scoffed at that and followed her example. His eyes were drawn to the outside from the sound alone.  
"And we even got a lovely view, I guess." Staring at the side of the wall, wonderful. It was lit by the other houses and huts, the earth shimmering from all the water spraying around.  
The priestess followed his gaze, then let out a bit of a laugh. She proceeded to take off her cloak and hung it in the closet.  
"We should be happy already that we have an intact room for the night..." Then her smile died away and she hesitated in her movement. "I wonder if the other two are doing okay... Certainly, they deserve shelter just the same..."  
The hunter joined her side and hung his own cloak. "Well, we can't say, can we? But we need to trust in them and their abilities if we wish to see them again." Then he would offer her a gentle smile and a pat to the shoulder. "They aren't easily killed, I am sure. It will only be a matter of time until they find their way here, too."  
The Sunken City wasn't hard to find, being the only standing town in the area. Which reminded him that they should check the map again, so he went to fetch it and fold it open on the table. Sypha barely had time to thank the other and did so under her breath before she took place by the table, too.

"It looks like, we aren't far from Dracula's stronghold at all..."  
Which only added to Sypha's suspicions about this city. Being so close and yet, the army of demons didn't take over? The defenses were massive, though the monsters weren't to be underestimated either.  
Trevor frowned a bit at the sight of the map. "But it doesn't seem like we have a direct path into it... Look, on Sorin's map, the tower and bridge, which would lead to the Castle, aren't included. So either our previous map is old or his is mistaken." And really, the hunter could hope for the latter to be true. Having to navigate across the lake without being spotted was up to impossible.  
Sypha shrugged at his words. These news weren't calming them down.  
"Well... We have to see for ourselves then, I suppose. And if there is no tower, we can still ask Alucard about it. He would know where the entrances to the Castle would be." She returned his previous gesture by patting his back, hoping that it felt reassuring.  
That much was true, Trevor had to admit and his tension loosened. With a low sigh, he folded together the maps and dropped them over the other equipment.  
"We will have to think about this later, especially when the other two return to us. After all, we can't leave without them." Trevor let himself fall on the bed and kicked his boots off. Only then, he realized how stressful it was for his feet to have marched for days.  
Sypha sat by the bed and got rid of her shoes in a calmer matter. Not that she cared about the hunter's way of doing things, they were in their own room.  
"And the guard was so happy to hear that I could join the priest... Since we have to wait for some more, I might as well attempt to talk to him and see where it goes." She then laid on her side and took the blanket to cover herself up. It was pretty chilly at night, not even the room could completely cover them from the cold. At least, it wasn't as bad as it would have been outside. Plus, having an actual blanket, pillow and mattress was a blessing. Never would she have thought to miss the smell of hay filling from the mattress. Her eyes fell shut quick, the comforting warmth was tempting her already.  
"Aheh, I will have to stay awake then, I think?" The priestess could hear how the other sat up once more. She shifted in place as if attempting to do the same, but remained where she was. "I know that you are... Just as suspicious about this city as I am. I don't want to take any risks, you know..." The ever worrisome hunter. He wasn't going to take the responsibility again to lose anyone of them due to his own inability.  
"Are you... Are you sure?" One could barely hear Sypha anymore, though Trevor could already guess what she said. He scoffed at first and leaned back against the wall while he lessened the light of the lamp.  
"You are falling asleep right in front of me. I don't think that you have any room to debate right now." Trevor had to keep from laughing, the priestess was so tired.  
There wasn't any protest coming from her anymore, she had already drifted to sleep a second later. Trevor chuckled some more at the sight, but he couldn't blame her.  
Everything has been exhausting, they deserved to rest. In fact, his own defenses dimmed as soon as he was by himself. The sound of the waterfalls filled his ears while the flame danced in the lamp, the light flickering on the wall.  
How long has it been since they have had shelter like this? No wolves howling or monsters grunting. No wind that whistled through the dead trees and valleys.  
A normal life wasn't something that was granted for Trevor in general. To have a house, to have a home to call his own. This was the closest that he got to this feeling ever since he was forced into exile. Just to be able to say, yes, this is where I could sleep in all night without stirring from every sound.  
And that's what the hunter did. Not that he wished to fall asleep soon after, but all these sensations washed over him. His head dropped down, his eyes fell shut and he fell asleep, leaning against the wall.

The Sunken City only found him awake again in the morning, shifting on the mattress like a child. Somehow, Trevor had managed to lay down and be wrapped in his own blanket, the oil lantern on the ground. Perhaps he had stirred from his sleep a bit as the previous position that he had been in wasn't comfortable. Yet, as soon as the realization of having fallen asleep hit him, Trevor jolted up and glanced around. His gaze soon found the priestess that had already woken up and moved around in the room. Between her hands was a bowl of water, a wet cloth sticking out of it.  
Sypha wasn't phased by his surprise and chuckled.  
"Well? Did you have a good sleep for once?" Of course, they should have switched during the night, but neither of them could be bothered by that. She placed the bowl by the table.  
"You didn't even hear the rooster... I guess, your body picked up what you denied it for so long."  
"They have a rooster around?"  
Not the most logical question to ask, but he woke up about a minute ago, so his mind wasn't exactly in the right place then. Sypha was amused by the question nonetheless.  
"Seems like it."  
The priestess had to admit, it had been a while since she had seen actual animals around. Other than the usual rats, though those were said to be linked to Lord Dracula as well. Most of nature, including the wildlife, was perishing and the ground grow unfruitful. "Anyway... Want to freshen up a bit? I have asked for a bowl and some water. The old lady was kind enough to bring me one, yet her words weren't quite as nice... Then again, I don't know what I have expected from her, really..." Something as in 'we have plenty of water and you are asking me?' and 'might as well help you out'. Even so, Sypha had received what she had asked for. Thus, she wasn't going to spend much time pondering about the innkeeper's words.  
Trevor swung his legs out of bed and shuddered. The blanket had covered him quite well from the cold. Now the morning crept back underneath his skin no matter if he liked it or not.  
"I suppose... It would be nice for a change to get some sweat and blood from my skin..." It would also help him checking on some bruises and what his cuts were doing. Not infecting, he hoped. Before the hunter could dwell for too long in the scenarios of infections, Sypha handed him the bowl.  
"Well, then I'll see if I can get some breakfast from somewhere. The lovely lady will have to deal with me again, but I don't think that she minds our presence."  
She would be paid anyway and she did have an inn for a reason. Hypocrisy was common, but the priestess always hoped that people would go beyond that. Trevor agreed to that with a nod as he had already shifted his focus on the next task. Again, he wasn't the most focused after having had an entire night for sleep.  
Either that or he wasn't used to it anymore.

As Sypha had predicted, the innkeeper wasn't too happy to hear that her guests were now also hungry.  
"We have still one functioning farm left, one level below us",. she would explain, "not that they have much, but they provide me with a few things sometimes. I guess, I can share. Father Hector wouldn't want to hear that I let you starve before meeting him for mass."  
Oh right, the morning mass.  
"We wouldn't want to be late for it either! When does it usually start?" In fact, Sypha was surprised that she didn't hear the church bells already. It would have been held around that time from what she was used to.  
The innkeeper shuffled behind the bar to search for the items that she could hand over to her guests.  
"When we can see the sun above us." The city was pretty low in the ground, so seeing the sun rise and set was out of the question. Yet, Sypha would have guessed that the light of the day would be enough to tell them that the night had ceased.  
"That's not a 'morning mass' anymore, is it? Not that people here care much for it... The lake in the middle glistens at that time, that's what Father Hector took as a sign. The blessing of the Lord and all." She placed two plates on the bar, then two cups and a jar of water.  
"Ah, so you hold masses at different times of the day? I haven't heard of such a thing before, but then again, I can see why you would follow it like this." Not exactly, but Sypha wasn't too keen on angering her. Despite her grumpy attitude, the old woman seemed to be devoted to God, too. It might not be the same intensity as it had been with the guard, but she wasn't going to see how far she could go. Besides, it wasn't smart to step on anyone's toes these days.

After Sypha had thanked the old woman for the few things that she was willing to share, she returned to the room where her and Trevor had breakfast. It was decided that they would make their way to the church and try to find Father Hector who seemed to be at the center. Perhaps he would have a clearer answer of what was going on around them.  
"Yes, because a priest who seems to keep this entire city together has another answer than 'God did it'",. Trevor snarled while he was equipping his weapons. He wasn't going to leave those behind whether this was an hostile environment or not.  
The priestess rolled her eyes. She had to give that point to him though, she didn't have high hopes either.  
"Well, what better idea do you have? If he is the first person that everyone wants us to talk to, then we might as well do so. Once we have a better picture of this priest and what their main motivations are around here-"  
"The motivation of not dying."  
"Then we can plan on heading out to find the other two."  
Sypha wasn't going to let herself be demotivated like that. And yes, the population had the motivation of not being fed to demons as their first choice.  
But she wasn't going to comment on that. Trevor was on the fence already when it came to moving around a group of people. Of course, he wasn't too fond of larger groups when the country had decided that he wasn't welcome anymore.  
Sypha looked him over and she allowed a bit of pity to show in her gaze. Though, the hunter did not quite catch that as he pulled his coat over and checked if he got everything. This wasn't the time to ask him about his thoughts and feelings of his former home country, so she averted her eyes.

The two of them still weren't comfortable with the common method of moving around this city. The ladders and bridges between platforms didn't seem too stable in general. It also didn't help that the constant echo of the waterfalls rang in their ears, reminding them that it was a long way down.  
Their eyes did keep searching for the church that was at the bottom. Soon enough, it peeked through two platforms. The clock tower came into sight before the view was blocked again. Inhabitants passed them with curious glances, though none dared to raise their voice. Only a few actually greeted them with a nod when they would do it, but words weren't part of any sort of greeting. The hunter squared his shoulders and Sypha could see how he his defenses were pulled up further.  
She glanced at him, placed a hand on his shoulder and mumbled: "We'll be fine."  
And Sypha could only hope that she would be right.

Most of the inhabitants were located by the ground. People were working around the lake, carrying buckets to fill their containers. Others were going in and out the humble church. Not that the duo stopped in their tracks and climbed the stairs to the church, too.  
Once more, simple decor was found inside, it was moist from the air and the cold crept between the pillars. By the altar stood a young man in long, rich robes who spoke to a couple that knelt next to him. His white hair was quite peculiar, considering how he could have easily been their age if not a tad younger. Only a few strands would stick around his face and out of the hat, though not much else could be seen.  
The crest on the front of the robes drew almost as much attention to them as his hair. Two winged dragons, one black and the other white, tangled around the rays of the sun in the middle. Its' center showed a crescent moon and two stars.  
When the couple had risen from the ground to leave him, the priest noticed their presence. The two of them glanced at one another before they approached him. His blue eyes pierced right through them as if he tried to figure out if they were a threat or not. The priest had lift his head a bit and an air of superiority could be sensed almost immediately.

"Greetings, travelers. It seems that the Lord has finally revealed to us that there are others out there who aren't tainted."  
Father Hector folded his hands in front of him and gave a light bow. They returned it out of politeness. His words held nothing warm to them. Nothing about his posture or gaze showed any kind of welcome. In fact, his expression was frozen, unable to tell whatever he was thinking.  
"What are your names, good guests? I suppose, I don't have to introduce myself as the villagers speak of me often enough."  
It took them a second to be able to respond. Trevor held back and let the other talk. She was better at sounding friendly.  
"Good morning, Father. The inhabitants of this city have wished for us to meet you ever since we arrived yesterday night."  
Mentioning that they were let in last evening might be calming to hear rather than sneaking in. They weren't thieves or anything. "This is my companion Trevor, I am a priest myself and they call me Father Cypher. I am more than happy to find someone of my kin out here! Especially when these demons roam the countryside..."  
Father Hector only nodded. For a moment, he didn't reply and looked them over. His eyes still held a cold shine, but at least, he seemed to have lowered some of his own defense.  
"Indeed... It has been so long since I have seen another priest. I have never seen one of them make it this far, in fact." There was something akin to doubt on his features right then. Yet, there they were, so they couldn't lie about having survived when they were very much alive. "But the Lord seemed to have smiled upon you. It would be an honor if you would be able to assist me with the mass." Father Hector gestured to the backroom, only throwing a brief glance on Trevor. "Since the morning mass is about to start, I will conduct it by myself. Father Cypher, in the meantime, can get a look around the church and its' buildings to see what he could work with. I will soon join your side after mass is done. I am afraid that your companion won't be able to accompany you. I consider these grounds sacred and since you aren't part of our guild... Well... I would ask you to join the crowd. Once we are done with the preparations, Father Cypher will join your side again."  
This plan didn't sit right with Trevor and he crossed his arms. It might as well be a trap and Sypha also looked uncomfortable with parting from the hunter. The idea that they wouldn't be able to look out for one another was making them uneasy, to say the least.  
"I suppose, this is necessary?",. he asked and Father Hector let out a weary sigh. The hunter pressed his lips together and Sypha patted his shoulder with an apologetic smile  
"You can get a bit of a look around for us then... I will meet you again as soon as I can."  
"You will join the morning mass, I am guessing?" Father Hector sounded scolding enough for them to flinch at the sharp tone. "We are a community. I would think that you wish to join ours as well and it would be a shame if you wouldn't wish to be a part of the Lord's community."  
Sypha glanced between them and squinted her eyes in confusion. "Join your community?"  
"Yes, what other reason would you have? And there is nothing left to do outside when there are so many dangers." For the first time, there was something warming to him and his gestures. He placed both his hands on each of their shoulders and let out another sigh. "But here... Here, you are safe from whatever tries to reach you. It would be a shame if you were to leave and lose your lives after we had the luck to meet."  
If they hadn't had their mission on their minds, they might have considered the offer.  
Because, honestly, he was right.  
There was nothing worth pursuing outside these walls other than finding another form of shelter which was up to impossible. Yet, their duty was to reach Dracula's Castle and get rid of the Curse. At least, that was the mission given to them by the Lord just the same. Not that Trevor was going to mention that right away.  
"Lovely offer", he replied dryly and swallowed to get a hold of his voice. "Ever so kind of you, but-"  
"Please, Father Hector, we wouldn't want to keep you from your mass!" Sypha looked at the hunter, imploring him with her gaze not to speak more. If they could take advantage of their welcome, they might as well without angering the most respected inhabitant of the city. Better not lie to him about staying or anger him by saying that it was nice, but also unsettling to be around him. Honestly, one could make them out to be the enemy real quick. That idea alone would have been reason enough to interrupt Trevor from talking. The hunter seemed to have understood this intention and gave a weak nod, too.  
"Oh, how could I have forgotten? I wouldn't be so rude to take more of your time! I'll see you later then." He feigned innocence and forgetfulness and waved the priest off. Trevor gave a pat to Sypha's arm and showed a weak smile. Not that the hunter could get anywhere from the Sunken City unless he was going to leave Sypha behind. Though, that possibility didn't even cross his mind even if everything would turn on them. They have already been forced to split and to be on their own almost felt unnatural right then. But neither of them were children, so there was no protest coming from the duo when Father Hector lead the other to the chambers.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Trevor was left alone in the humble hall. His eyes were immediately drawn to the lonely cross hanging by a few strings from the ceiling. It was massive, dark and looming. In the middle, he could spot the symbol from the priest's robes engraved in the wood. Trevor frowned at the sight, but went up to the altar nonetheless to get on his knees and pray. When he closed his eyes to let his mind dwell in prayer, the single bell resounded from the tower, indicating that mass was indeed about to start. Another few thoughts for the Lord, questions and thanks alike, before he got on his feet to join the crowd outside.

Trevor was almost taken by surprise when he saw so many people gathered around the lake at once. All their heads had sunk down, eyes closed as they held to the hands of the ones next to them. There was a serenity to them, it almost felt unreal. The hunter kept back nonetheless, hoping to not draw any attention to himself. Trevor moved between the houses to get a better view, but to also be hidden from their sight. Along with the sound of the waterfalls, the bell resounded in the abyss while the wet mist of the crashing waters was hanging in the air.  
It didn't take long until Father Hector exited the church and, with his arms open, he roamed to a rock that peeked out of the side of the lake. The priest didn't change his gesture when he reached the tip of the rock and with the last strike of the bell, he looked them over.  
Father Hector didn't even have to say a word. The crowd around him began to chant in unison in a language that Trevor would identify as Latin. The singing almost overshadowed the waterfalls, echoing in the abyss of the Sunken City. Trevor shuddered at the sound, there was no feeling behind it, no heart. Only pure dedication as if they were turning into one being right then and there.  
It was unsettling, to say the least.  
Then, all of a sudden, something hit the water with a splash. Trevor spotted a bit of red in the middle and a few moments later, a body emerged from the surface, all limbs spread out.  
"Give yourself into the hands of our Lord!"  
Among the singing, Father Hector's voice boomed, loud and unbreakable, drunk from power. Another person jumped from a platform with a splash. No one seemed to be phased by this one bit. "Let Him save your soul! Let Him take you to the promised land for judgement will be upon you if you are to disobey!"  
Finally, a change in movement. His right arm gestured to each of them, his eyes following his hand as if he was watching his herd like a shepherd. None of them even bat an eye when the next person had flung themselves into the waves. Strings of blood swirled in the water and dissolved while their bodies would pour out more blood. "But the Lord... The Lord requires sacrifice. To create life and to protect such, you have to offer such to show your love and devotion. To show Him, that you are worth saving after all."  
For how long has this man planted such sick and twisted thoughts into the minds of these poor souls? Trevor could not believe that he was witnessing an human sacrifice right before his eyes! Yet, if he was to jump out right there to confront them, he would be overwhelmed.  
Trevor backed away from the scene. He would need to find Sypha and tell her about what was happening. Just the idea that the priestess would join such a cult... To even consider that she would become part of this and become a sacrifice to whatever God they worshiped...  
The hunter shuddered with disgust.  
When he turned on his heel to escape the scene, he almost bumped into someone who had sneaked up behind him. Trevor recognized him as the guard from last night, though his friendly expression had made way for a blank stare. It was only focused on him for a second though before he turned to face the priest.  
"Father Hector!", he called, his voice deprived from emotion, "this man, he is not joining the session!"  
Whatever form of hostility had been hinted in his eyes before, Trevor could feel downright hatred upon him when the priest turned his head.  
"Bring this heretic to me!" An order cold and sharp. The crowd turned in unison to face his direction, their gazes fixed on his form. A cold shiver ran down his spine, sudden dread taking hold of him. "For we must save his soul from corruption and lead him to our Lord!"  
This was enough of a sign to escape.  
Yet, the guard grasped his arm, the grip iron tight. Trevor attempted to pull free, but the other pulled him closer relentlessly. It was almost out of reflex, his other hand formed into a fist and it collided with the guard's face. His head was knocked to the side and the lip burst from the impact, but his hand wouldn't let go. Another punch to the jaw, putting more strength behind it and he could feel the bone crack. In the meantime, the crowd hastened towards them, not caring about those who tripped and fell, crushing limbs under their feet. Trevor cringed and threw another punch, the nose cracked and finally the grip loosened which he used to his advantage right away to escape.

First, he needed to get to Sypha.  
They would need to flee this cursed place, whatever had happened to it. If there was a possibility to save these people, to break their maniac state, he would have followed it. But this attempt would be for nothing if he was to do so on his own only to fail and end up as sacrifice.  
His hand was on his belt, ready to take the Vampire Killer, but his fingers wouldn't budge. Whenever Trevor gazed back, it was people that he saw, not monsters or demons, creations from Hell. Those men and women still held their soul within them, they were possessed by evil. The hunter could have fought them well, but he hesitated nonetheless.  
Instead, Trevor focused his energy on getting away and fleeing into the church. In there, he could get through the other buildings connected to it and find the priestess. Luckily, the crowd was uncoordinated, making it somewhat easy for Trevor to flee.  
"AFTER HIM, I SAID!"  
Father Hector's voice boomed behind him and Trevor wouldn't dare to glance back. The order echoed in the chamber that he had entered and with strength, he swung the gates shut behind him. Dulled cries reached his ears, some limbs must have been crushed between the gates in that second.  
Not that the hunter looked back, he couldn't. His feet were restless, his eyes staring forward to find the door through which Sypha had gone.

Dear God, Trevor begged in his thoughts, give us the strength to make it out of this hellhole alive.


	12. Demon Seed

Hello everyone!

Hope that you've been doing well~! In this chapter, I took some liberties with canon and included my own interpretation. But more to that by the end of the chapter...

Anyway! Enjoy and see you around! :)

* * *

~ 6-3: Demon Seed

The looming sounds of the abyss was deafening.  
Water crashed down from everywhere, filling the silence, but never quite managing. It echoed and bounced off the walls, the depths swallowing the sound.

Alucard could only stare down into the dark as it stared back at him. As a bat, his eyesight was terrible, but his instincts came in handy. Along with the other sounds, his form would raise no attention whatsoever.  
The body of the Hydra must have still been warm, whether it was alive not. And near the beast must have been Grant. He was either knocked out from the fall, depending on how he landed, or he wasn't even-  
Alucard pushed the idea away. His search couldn't be futile. As much as the other was a nuisance, he couldn't deny the support and his worth to the team. Besides, it wasn't honorable to leave a companion behind.

But Alucard chose not to dwell in these thoughts for too long, he had a task to fulfill.  
Luckily, the abyss wasn't as deep as he had feared it to be and soon enough, he was greeted with the sight of the Hydra. At least, the outline of it, there was no source of light that illuminated the area. The creature didn't move, neither did he hear a sound coming from it. Instead, another sound caught his attention, a bit further from him. Something was moving in the water, struggling and splashing.  
It drained Alucard to remain in this form, so he turned back and summoned a fireball in his hand. His eyes were immediately drawn to the monster which was stretched across the ground. No limb dared to move, the creature was lifeless.

Yet, Grant was not to be seen.  
The prince feared that the other had been crushed by the massive body in the fall, now buried underneath.  
Then again, he thought to himself, I would have seen a trail of blood in the water.  
At least, his blood he would have recognized due to the prior experience, sadly. It was both calming and confusing to have none of it by the water. Yet, as soon as he tried to focus on that, he did have a faint trail of it which alarmed him, so he followed it with quick steps. The water was about to reach his knees by then, it was getting more and more difficult to work his way through it. Human or not, he could feel the cold crawling up his back at which he sniffled and tried to push this sensation away.

His path led him to one of the walls of the abyss, a pair of stairs where one would find heavy gates at the end.  
At the top of the stairs, he spotted the pirate, slumped over and lying flat on his face. Alucard almost lost the focus on the fireball when he hastened up the stairs and knelt by his side. His fingers searched for his pulse by his neck, pressing in while he tried to calm his own breathing. After a few dreadful moments, he could finally get a glimpse of his pulse. Though the sensation fuzzed his mind a bit as if trying to evoke something else, so pulled his hand away quick. Instead, he turned the other on his back. The scent of blood had come from a few scratches on him, a laceration on his forehead especially. Alucard took him by his shoulders to shake him a bit, swallowing the knot in his throat to get his voice out.  
"Grant, can you hear me?"  
Alucard stared at him, hoping to get a sign out of him by giving him another shake. This was enough for the other to grimace a bit, shifting in his hold. Then his eyes fluttered open, though only halfway through.  
"What…?" Grant glanced around himself a bit before he focused on the dhampire. "What happened…? Where am I?"  
Understandably, the pirate was completely disoriented. When he attempted to sit up, Alucard placed a hand to his chest to keep him down. He wasn't exactly in the best shape to go back to jumping and running again right away.  
"The Hydra fell into the abyss and you with it." Once again, Grant frowned at his explanation and tried to remember. Before he could even ask about the monster, he added: "I have seen it back there. There is no movement coming from it any longer, so we don't have to worry about that problem now."  
This sparked something in Grant's mind and he rummaged in his jacket for something. He pulled out a red orb and held it out to him. Alucard kept it in his palm and watched it with curiosity.  
Trevor had picked up something like this when they fought the monster in the Curse Castle. Between the waves of fog, he could see the Hydra swimming around.  
"This must be what the Devil Forgemasters use to keep the spirits of these creatures in place...", he mumbled more to himself than to the other. Without thinking twice about it, he let it slip into his own pocket.  
"I-I don't remember too much. I believe... I let go off the beast at some point to… Prepare better? I remember sliding off of it after it all happened…", Grant began as if afraid that something might slip from his memory in any second. In the meantime, Alucard searched for bandages in their pockets. "And I kind of… Staggered into a direction until I came here. Then everything went black and I… Well, that's where you found me, I guess."  
The human instinct is incredible.  
This was the first thought that crossed Alucard's mind. How they preserved themselves no matter what. If the body was somehow willing to move, then it would happen. Survival was in their blood and the dhampire had to admit that they were doing well even during the Curse.  
His hands worked to get the bandage around his head to stop some of the bleeding, at least. Then he checked for how far the water had gotten up, though he realized how steep the steps were.  
"You must have fallen unconscious then... The shock of it all wearing off and then the pain and such breaking down on you."  
Grant closed his eyes again with a weary sigh. He was more than exhausted and drained at this point.  
"Do you have… Any idea where we are? Or where these gates would lead us?"  
His question had him ponder for a moment.  
Alucard then picked up the fireball which he had left hanging in the air to hold it closer to the gates. Engraved were scenes from Christian stories, those of Jesus and how he would hang on the cross. Though the metal was worn off and the facial expressions and the lettering were gone.  
"My guess is some sort of tomb… Coming from the inside to this place, it would lead into a dead end. So this was either for hiding from enemies or to deceive robbers?"  
Alucard gave a shrug. One couldn't climb up this abyss via stairs or anything. At least, there were none to indicate such, but then again, those could have broke over time. Whatever it was, there was no way for them to climb upwards.  
"If there is one end here, there had to be another in there somewhere. Maybe one from the city, actually. If this is a tomb, they could have used it to bury their noblemen in there." Regular townsfolk got a simple graveyard, of course. Nothing to protect the deceased from grave robbers or the forces of nature.  
"Another horde of undead…?" Grant groaned at the idea of it. These were the times of the Curse after all, so it was to be expected. Not that Alucard would comment on it, he allowed him to have some more rest.  
"It would be better for you to take a bit of a nap. I'll watch out for the water and if it gets close to any dangerous level, I will wake you up and we continue. After all, we have to meet back up with the other two later on."  
"They continued on? I'm glad… I hope that they are doing fine and not… Worry too much about me", murmured the pirate with a soft smile curling on his lips. After Grant pressed out another sigh, he finally allowed for his body to relax some more. Something about this sounded pitiful to Alucard as if the other wished for them to forget about him. The dhampire frowned at these words and leaned back against a pillar.  
"Of course, they worry. It's normal when someone cares for the other. They fear that you have died in the fall. Which wouldn't have been unrealistic, if I may add." He watched Grant shift in place some more as he turned to the side to face him. "You're a magnet for trouble, it seems."  
The pirate didn't find the strength in himself to reply. He could only nod and let out another sigh before he would allow himself to drift to sleep. It was all too complicated to think about and to be fair, Alucard couldn't even blame him for that.

In the middle of all this chaos and uncertainty, the dhampire has found a moment of relief and calm.  
To know that he had found their companion alive and somewhat well was giving him some peace. At least, their other two friends wouldn't need to be sorrowful with bad news. Their return would give them new hope and strength for the journey ahead. Yes, they all needed that much after all.  
Even the water falling down and waving from one side to the other sounded pleasant to his ears now. Nothing else stirred in this place any longer, the danger felt so far away. One could almost argue that this was a comforting spot to be if it wasn't so very empty.

Alucard didn't mind the time, couldn't say how much had passed before Grant stirred from his sleep again. He himself seemed to have nodded off, the calm washing over and cradling him.  
"Have I… Overslept?", he could hear the pirate mumble as he rubbed his temple.  
"I don't think that there is a specific time for us to get up. Unless it is about drowning, but that would have taken a while." Alucard peeked over to their surroundings. Indeed, they could have had a lot more time, but they weren't here to sit around and wait for something else to happen. They would need to catch up with the others soon to not have them completely worried out of their mind.  
"Can you get up? Are you okay?"  
Grant sat up and took a moment to himself to understand how his body reacted.  
"Why do you care so much?", he then asked and frowned a bit. The prince squared his shoulders at this question. Of course, he should have expected for him to return to his usual hostility.  
"I was the only one that could follow you. So I'm the one stuck with you, so it seems." Alucard shrugged it off as if he didn't care. "But none of us were willing to leave you behind without knowing what was of you. So, I told them that we would meet them by the city." The pirate shifted in place, taking a deep breath before he got back on his feet and swayed a bit. Alucard was by his side to take him by the shoulder and he could feel how the pirate flinched from the touch. At least, he wasn't shaking him off or even snapping at him. Not wanting him to fall over in the next second if he was too stubborn to take his injuries seriously.  
"You think that you can go on?"  
"I guess so…", he mumbled as he steadied his posture. Grant attempted to be stronger than he actually felt. Then again, he was still pretty pale for his standards. Despite that, he showed the other a bit of a smirk. "Can't let the others wait and weep over us, right?"  
There was often something bright about his words.  
Alucard couldn't tell if it was fake or he actually found the positivity within himself to share it. He would rather stick to the latter.

The doors were rather heavy, they had to put behind some strength to open the gateway. As soon the gates opened, the smell of decay reached them and they were greeted by darkness. Grant shuddered in place, but then lightened up the oil lamp.  
"I assume that keeping this fireball up is costing you some energy." He fumbled with the handle of the lamp to bind it to his belt. Alucard allowed for his magic to disappear and he gave a light nod. It wasn't a whole lot that would be burnt up, though he could see why they would rather rely on the oil lamp for a while.

Alucard's previous guess had been correct.  
This was some sort of tomb for novelty built as catacombs. Yet, the sight of these catacombs was worse than the one the group had faced before. Some parts of the walls were broken and filled up with skulls and bones, sticking out as if used to stuff the holes. So many pairs of empty, lifeless eyes watched their every step. There were plates in the walls and on the ground as well, inscriptions in Latin.  
"'Basarab'…? Some of those belong to members of the royal family?"  
Those were the graves, so it seemed, they could sometimes read dates and some of the names. Grant's expression darkened at the idea of whom those graves belonged to. Alucard wasn't excited about it either.  
"Those seem to go back centuries…"  
None of them looked too fancy. The decoration was modest on those graves, some bronze and gold shimmering in some cracks. Apparently, they weren't important enough to have their own tombs, but rich enough to be kept in catacombs.  
What gave them some relief were the skeletons that encountered, as ironic as that sounded. Luckily, this area echoed the sounds of the enemies' footsteps, so there was no ambush to be expected.  
But never had they encountered dark red skeletons before. There was a blue light emerging from their eye sockets as well, though they weren't sensitive to light, it seemed.  
"Even this tomb isn't safe from the minions of my father...", mumbled Alucard at the sight of the first two patrolling skeletons. They were armed with larger bones which they seemed to use as clubs. The companions weren't close enough to trigger their attention though.  
"At least, this shows us that we could pass through here. If this was a dead end, no one would have bothered to put up some kind of defense." Grant pulled out a long dagger and Alucard followed his example by unsheathing his sword.  
"Either that or it's supposed to throw us off and make us believe that there is an exit."  
"Always a downer, eh?"  
By then, Alucard couldn't tell if he meant it as an actual insult or as banter. But that might come from the fact that the pirate was focused on attacking in the next few seconds.  
His mind switched back to action as both of them dashed towards the foes. The enemies didn't expect their arrival and turned in surprise before they were slashed by the blades and broke apart into piles of bones.  
"Huh. The element of surprise is still effective even against demons. Good to know." Grant let out a sigh. The running took more energy out of him than the actual attack.  
"These aren't exactly the best fighters that can be created."  
With that statement, the two of them walked past the piles and focused back on the path before them. Yet, when they made their first few steps, they could hear rumbling coming from behind them. Jittering and shaking and soon enough, they could hear their bony feet tapping the ground. This time, the foes knew exactly who to aim for and dashed forward. Grant's reflexes took over and he slashed the first skeleton that had already risen its' club to hit either of them. This reaction energized Alucard and he sliced the second skeleton again. Once more, the enemies had fallen into pieces.  
"They take back their forms? We can't destroy them?", murmured Grant with a frown and kicked the pile of bones in frustration. The prince took him by the arm to pull him a bit before letting go.  
"We should advance quickly then, so we can leave them behind before they can track us again." As he was saying that, the bones were moving and daring to find their former place. Though it seemed like kicking the constellation was enough to have it collapse once more. They didn't wait much longer and turned on their heels to haste down to the next hall.

Some of the stream seemed to have gotten underground as well. There must have been holes somewhere still. Besides, bones weren't the best material to fill up holes. The platform below was already submerged with water, logs floating along. Considering how there wasn't a door that would help them move forward, they would have to go down. The stream that the water created had the logs move back and forth between the other platforms.  
"Do you think, those logs can carry us?", asked Grant as he kept watching said logs on the water. His body already tensed to get ready for whatever running or jumping was required. "I guess, we don't have much of a choice. Though you could turn into a bat and fly over instead? As part vampire, you won't swim far if you fall in."  
"This doesn't look too difficult to handle. In any emergency, I would turn into a bat immediately, but I am not exactly clumsy either."  
"Then let me go and try first, then you can follow."  
The pirate already took a few steps back to get a running start for the first log. Now he only needed to wait for the timing, watching the log as it floated on the surface.  
"It almost sounds like you actually care." There was something mocking to his words, to poke at Grant and his behavior which had the other frown in an instant. If Alucard was one to joke around, he would have snickered at that expression alone.  
Yet, Grant didn't seem to take his words as a joke. It was unusual to have him this serious about a matter.  
"Well, they expect us both to come back, no? As you are responsible for me, I am for you. But we're not here to have any kind of sentimental talk, so… We better get going."  
After these words, Grant sprinted from his spot. At the edge of the platform, he jumped and landed on the log, balancing himself on it before he was secure on it. With a prideful, yet childish smirk, he turned back to glance at the dhampire. Not that Alucard was impressed or even affected by it, but he had to admit that it was amusing to witness. This moment of faint joy didn't last for long as Alucard spotted a form materializing behind the other. Grant did notice how his gaze had trailed off and his smile fell before turned in place.  
The floating skull clattered its' teeth as if mocking, launching forward. From the shock, the pirate fell back and Alucard didn't lose any time to reach him. There was no hesitation in the jump, he threw a fireball as his eyes were focused on the foe. The aim was enough to send the creature off, escaping from the flames when the dhampire landed on the log as well. Grant glanced up at him sheepishly from his position.  
"Thanks." His answer was muttered before he got back on his shaking legs and steadied his stand. "I should watch my surroundings better instead of celebrating myself. But hey, a solid jump and landing from your side, too! Then again, a demonic being has a bit of an advantage anyway." Nothing would be able to keep that smile off his lips, the prince was almost impressed.  
"Uhm… Thank you?", he replied, unsure whether to take his words as a compliment or not.

Instead, they would need to focus on the other spirited demons as they had their ride on the log. Waving to lash out at the levitating skulls was a way to pass the time until the next platform was close enough. On the other side of this poor excuse of a river was another group of skeletons waiting for them. Three skeletons with rusted swords, two red ones with their clubs while another one was in the back and waited to chug bones at them.  
"Take out the ones at the front", demanded Alucard with a low, determined tone. "I'll get the one in the back and keep the red ones down."  
Without questioning one part of the plan, Grant nodded and got right at it. He sprinted towards the group to get their attention, Alucard keeping in the back. The skeletons turned in place, clattering their teeth and they staggered after him. When the first projectiles were tossed in his direction, the pirate turned and dodged the few bones. Then his dagger was flipped between his fingers only slash it across the skulls that dared to come close. When the red skeletons were about to reach him, Grant could see how Alucard had turned the thrower into ashes. Then he spun to stab one of the two which surprised the other foe and that split second was enough for Alucard to turn this enemy into a pile of bones as well. Since they were already aware of the specialty of the red skeletons, the duo moved right away into the next room.

Another pathway to cross the water via floating pieces of wood planks. There was also a pair of spiral stairs going up, though they couldn't make out if there was something on the other side to reach from that point.  
"Well, we wish to get back outside, right? Not further down into the earth, that won't get us anywhere", commented Grant as he trailed his eyes over the ceiling which was the platform above them.  
Alucard wasn't so sure himself. The lower half of this room offered a door as well which would get them somewhere, at least. "We don't know how far down we are at this point. The valley is just as deep and we might be wandering through it. Unfortunately, we can't say for sure where the exit would be."  
"You feel like playing frog again, I take it?", sneered the pirate and Alucard would only roll his eyes at that reaction. Instead of giving him an answer, the prince made his way up the spiral steps. There he was greeted by a bat that tried to nibble on his skin, but he swatted it away with a sigh. Soon enough, he could see how Grant had followed him. Yet, he didn't look back at him almost in fright to see that mischievous smirk again.  
But the stairs didn't only lead to one platform, but to three others. This stairway looked like some sort of tower and the duo decided that they might as well get to the highest floor. Running downwards was easier in case of danger and they would have an advantage, since their right hands were free to move. On each floor, they would glance to the side to see if there was something in particular, but the next two floors held about the same sight. A door by the end of a hallway and a few skeletons patrolling around or leaning against the wall. The level at the top of the stairs, however, offered a different scenario.

Three doors in each wall before them. They all looked a bit taller and fancier with Christian style carvings. There wasn't any particular difference at first glance when they approached the middle of the room.  
"Spoiled for choices, eh?", mumbled Grant as he placed his hands on his hips. They weren't planning on staying in the same area for hours, so running around to get to a dead end wasn't the goal.  
Alucard approached the first door to their right.  
"Maybe they say or show something that helps us understand what this is even supposed to be or where it would lead us."  
The pirate walked up to another door to check it out as well, yet Alucard focused back on his own door in front of him. Scenes of another Bible story. The prince recognized it as the Moses story with the parting of the sea in one panel, though it ended with them walking around in the desert. "It doesn't even seem like that there was even supposed to be any writing to begin with... There must be something out of the ordinary or—"  
"God damn!"  
The sudden curse had Alucard flinch and he snapped in place to see how Grant had jumped back from a werewolf that burst through his door. His sword was drawn and he rushed down the hall. The pirate was having serious difficulty to outrun the claws that had already ripped his jacket.  
"Were you waiting right behind the door?! Geez, if you needed some private time, you could have said so!"  
Of course, the pirate had opened the door without thinking, typical. Alucard snarled at that and the werewolf dodged the blade only to jump on top of the pirate, throwing him off and towering above him. The muzzle opened wide so that the creature could ram its' sharp teeth into his shoulder and devour him. Yet, Grant was able to pull up a dagger and pierce the top of its' mouth instead, the blade digging in all the way. A cry escaped the werewolf, its' blood gushed out, flowing down and soiling Grant's chest. The pirate stemmed his feet against the firm belly, though he barely had the power to push it off. Instead, Alucard sunk his sword into the side of the werewolf, then kicking it off of the other. The monster tumbled and rolled further over itself. They could still hear the heavy breathing of it, the dhampire had no mercy and pierced its' throat with the blade.  
Its' sounds ceased in an instant.  
Silence filled the air once more until Grant sat up again to wipe off some of the blood from his clothes.

"Great… Now I will smell even worse than usual."  
The werewolf blood had another smell and taste than human blood, it was stronger. This wasn't in Alucard's interest and he turned to watch him with squinted eyes.  
"You should watch what you're doing. I didn't come here to have you killed", he replied in a scolding tone before the prince continued to clean his blade with his cape.  
"Thanks, father", he sneered and got back on his feet, though he didn't meet his gaze. Grant knew himself that his actions were too careless and that he shouldn't have opened the door.  
Before Alucard could even answer to this comment, something else caught his eyes.  
There was something shimmering on the ground in a light blue color and the prince picked it up before Grant could protest. It was a silver necklace with a blue gem, something about it reminded him of the sea with the sand particles within.  
"Is this yours?"  
In panic, Grant rummaged in his jacket only to notice that one pocket was ripped by the werewolf.  
"Yes… This is my necklace", he began and sighed as if he gave up from hiding the fact that he owned this.  
The prince turned the gem between his fingers and frowned a bit. "Isn't this the… 'Ocean's Drop?' A gem given down by the Dăneşti family? This is jewelry from the royal family." Grant flinched at those words. Alucard waited for an answer, though didn't receive any. Lord Dracula was, before becoming the Lord of Darkness, part of the Basarab clan somehow. Thus, the dhampire was aware of the royal history. "Where did you get this?"  
Grant shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants and twisted his mouth a bit. His shoulders were squared back while his gaze trailed off.  
"I don't know, I'm not so sure..." His voice wavered from nervousness, but he shrugged as if this subject wasn't too important to him. "Some black market where I had found this. I liked the gem. It was as if it was taken right from the sea. As a pirate captain, I wanted to look a bit fancier. You have to start somewhere, you know… It wasn't cheap either, so I would want it back, please."  
As much as this was a vague answer, Alucard knew that there was a possibility for this to be true. With a frown remaining on his expression, Alucard handed out the necklace to him. It was his whether he got it via legal ways or not. The pirate thanked him as he took hold of it, putting it away in the other pocket instead.  
"That's what you get for owning something like this. The spirits of this clan might be around here still and feel that you own it."  
"As you said, I am a magnet for trouble. I don't think that the necklace changes my condition that much", he chuckled as he approached him, patting his shoulder. Alucard wrinkled his nose and took a step back.  
"Sorry. The werewolf blood, it…"  
Another sniffle from his side to get this smell out. Grant edged back as well, lifting his hands in defense and excusing himself. Of course, this would influence him and his instincts. Instead, they turned to see where the opened door would lead.  
The pathway wasn't long at all, the light of the oil lamp reached into the other room. It was rounded and didn't seem to offer any other door to pass through. A bunch of plates were in the walls, inscriptions of other dead inhabitants. One coffin had burst open, the remains of those bricks on the floor.  
"That's where the werewolf was, I guess." Grant could only state the obvious. It wouldn't even be surprising to think that at least one of these corpses was cursed and a dark creature. The Curse would enhance these circumstances anyway. "We got this room checked off then. Only two more doors to deal with."  
"Hopefully without any other monster encounter. Let's check the last one together." As much as Alucard wasn't fond of the werewolf blood on the other's clothes, he couldn't deny that he was worried that there could be yet another enemy. It would be easier to overwhelm one foe together.

Another Christian scene. This one was the one of Noah's Arch. How he gathered each of every animal, then the arrival of the flood only for it all to disappear again with God's forgiveness.  
"All right… This is Noah's story… The door that I opened depicted the story of Judas." There was no real connection between the three stories. At least, the stories of Moses and Noah were in the Old Testament, but having Judas in the mix was unfitting. Then again, this door had led to an enemy. Not helpful when having to pick between another duo of doors.  
"Well, it was not exactly smart of you to open a door that showed Judas and his development", murmured Alucard and lifted his eyebrows. His judgement wasn't the best, but what did he expect from a pirate? Their morals were a bit twisted, of course.  
Grant showed him his tongue. What a child.  
"Most of these Saints didn't have the best history. God had a lot of cleaning up to do in the Bible. Now it is up to us to do that job, quite ironic, uh?"  
"Whatever our mission means, it doesn't help the decision. Which door should we open?" With that, he gestured to the other door that he had examined and Grant followed the gesture with his gaze. He tilted his head as he began to think about it.  
"This one looks like, it has a good ending. That is promising enough, right?"  
The pirate's musings weren't long or that meaningful, but Alucard could get behind the meaning of it. In fact, the Moses story didn't end with them reaching their destination, but their pilgrimage. It wasn't the most positive of signs in comparison to receiving God's forgiveness. Grant turned back to the door in front of them and edged close to every panel, hoping to find something that was off.  
Yet, it was the dhampire this time who initiated action.  
"We should try and see what we find in there. You can stand to the back, so that you can attack whatever is waiting behind it. If there is anything at all." The pirate looked up at him in confusion, but nodded and offered the other the door, gesturing to the knob.

The hollowness was the only thing that greeted them when they had opened the door.  
No sudden werewolf, no red skeleton, no bat that flapped their way.  
This chamber was far larger than the last one, though similar in design. There was even an altar with a cross which reminded them of the tomb in which they had fought Alucard.  
Then, something stirred behind them. Feet that scoffed over the broken ground, a heavy sigh echoed.

"Oh, Ionel…" A sultry, sweet voice reached them. It was somehow contorted, twisted, as if the sweetness of it only meant to cause nausea. "Good angel of mine, have you finally returned to us?" Alucard could see how the other shook from that sound, how panic immediately had taken hold of him. The duo turned in place nonetheless to spot a woman by one of the open graves. Her skin had paled and rotten, half of her face was torn. Even her form was so fragile that one could only wonder how that thin layer of flesh was still hanging on her. The hair was a mess, most of it fallen out already and the once fancy dress was now ripped and soiled. What had Alucard shudder though was the wicked smile of hers that stretched over the thin, blue lips. Then there was intense stare of hers on them, the gray eyes sharp and deadly. Before Alucard could even make connection, the figure continued as she stretched out her hands to them.  
"It has been so long… Did you not miss your family?"  
It was as if these words summoned other undead who approached them from the sides. Two young men and a woman. They made the same sight as the mother: scraggy and bony with ruined clothes, twisted smiles and eyes burning with anger. It was disturbing for sure, to hear and see that there was something human to them once, but Grant was petrified. Alucard didn't even think that he would ever see him with such terror in his eyes. When he had cursed him into his demonic form, there was still defiance within him despite all.  
Without taking his eyes away from the foes, the prince began to whisper:  
"Grant… Who are these people?" There was no reaction coming from the other as if he didn't register the question.  
"Grant", he repeated, this time more firm, "who are they?"  
Though it wasn't the pirate that would give him the answer. The eldest figure opened her arms and chuckled, but it came out as hollow and cold.  
"Have you not told your friend about your family? What you did?"  
"Who you left behind?", spat out another figure from the other side, the oldest man out of the three.  
"Who you betrayed?" It was as if they were about to burst in yells.  
Yet, it was Grant who had raised his voice first in a rush of panic.  
"Shut up!" He pressed his hands against his ears, closing his eyes hard to push out anything. "I haven't—I didn't— I never meant for any of this to happen!" His voice broke almost immediately again, pushing his tears down from fright.  
This was it, he was losing the other if he wasn't doing anything. Of course, the dhampire had still no idea what was going or what they were talking about. He would need to put the two and two together later. Alucard took him by his shoulder and turned him to face him, to grab his attention. Goodness, to see how the sharpness in his eyes had dulled from panic and sorrow was almost knocking him over, too. The pirate tried his best to focus on the dhampire, blocking out every other maddening thought.  
"Look at me, Grant! This is an illusion; this is demonic trickery!" Not that Alucard could know for sure, since he wasn't the one who had summoned them from their graves. But if these were the remains of his family, he would think that he was loved and that they had cared for him. "Dracula is using his powers against us!" With caution, Alucard glanced around, seeing how the siblings had pulled out weapons: a sword for the eldest, a lance for the sister and an axe for the other brother. The mother watched from the back, waiting for the reaction that her only living son would give.  
"Those are... Those are phantoms...",. Grant stuttered like a mantra as if he was trying to convince himself. "They are... T-Tricking us..." As much as he found some steadiness in his words, hearing his mother hum was having him flinch once more. Yet, Grant seemed to use his desperate energy to pull out his combat dagger nonetheless. His hand gripped around the handle so tight that the knuckles whitened. His eyes stared down at the blade, convincing himself that this needed to be done. There was pity in Alucard's expression as he watched his trembling form before him.  
"Forgive me, but we have no other choice. They will—"  
"I know." Grant exhaled as if saying that much costed him energy already. It didn't help his nervousness at all. He would have put on a brave face if he could have. Instead, all that one could see was defeat as he pushed it all down for a moment of indifference. Alucard watched him for another second, unsure whether Grant could make it, but that would show during battle. In the end, all they needed to do was to stop their foes from moving.

The first one to take action was the sister, dashing towards the duo without hesitation. With a swing of her lance, she stabbed between the two of them and they jumped to the sides. The dhampire blocked the next swing with the broad side of his sword, putting strength against it. These beings were supernatural as the strength of her swings were beyond human.  
"This is not a matter for you to meddle with", the sister hissed while she gritted her teeth, pushing against the other before pulling back to take aim and stab. When the woman swung her weapon, a blade dug into the leg of hers and she shrieked from the sudden pain. Her eyes snapped back to Grant who stood in place, paralyzed for a second as if shocked by what he had done. He could only watch how the dark red liquid pumped out and slid down the rotten skin.  
" _You_. Always the little traitor, aren't you?!" She enraged by the actions of her brother, she lashed out in his direction instead. Before Alucard could even attempt to defend the other, another undead raced him down with his axe. He swung after him like a madman which was making it difficult for the dhampire to aim and hit a limb. Meanwhile, he could hear the screams from the sister while she toyed with Grant, making him jump and duck. Her insults consisted of 'traitor' and 'coward', though she did burst out something else that would only continue to tug on Grant's guilt. "You've let me die and now you will allow so again?! Is this what you have always wanted?!"  
Alucard had no idea what had happened between them for those words to have such a crushing effect on the pirate. He couldn't even reply anymore, the words stuck in his throat before he chugged another dagger to hit her chest. This alone caused him to wince and shake his head.  
"I-I could have never even imagined for this." Grant made no attempt to hide the sorrow behind his words. This wasn't a reunion that he had hoped for. Having to fight what he had once known so many years ago, facing the forms of those who had embraced him. "You are not my sister. Those are not my brothers and this is not mother. Not anymore."  
To underline his words, he chugged another dagger her way to her chest which had her bend and cough up blood. A sense of duty was to his attacks and also to stop from those harmful words to pour from her twisted tongue.  
As the sister fell back, the last brother took her place and lashed out with his sword. The speed of his attacks was as troublesome to him as it was to Alucard. He had changed his strategy and blasted small fireballs to throw him back, still hesitating to slice and burn them on the spot. Seeing the remains of their humanity made quite a difference. Their connection to his companion was far more influencing than he would have liked to admit.  
"You do not belong here, son of Dracula. Fighting for a side that curses your blood. Though, you two aren't that different, both filthy and cowardly", the man spat back at him. "This isn't any of your business."  
"Neither is it yours."  
The prince figured that he wasn't here to hold conversations with rotten corpses. This time, it was Alucard who attacked first, now convinced more than ever that they would need to put an end to this.

Yet, this might not prove itself as simple as it might have seemed at first glance. The sister who staggered back, pulled out the blade from her chest and swayed in place for another second. Then, white mist covered her skin and wrapped around her. The mother had stretched out her arms, summoning the fog. What the white fog did was to fill out the wounds that were caused on the body. It turned into flesh and binding with the rest which still hung on her.  
Her twisted smirk returned to her lips before joining her brothers in their combat. Alucard swung his sword, piercing the arm that held unto the axe and then pushing the enemy back with another fireball. Yet, there was no point in giving them any form of injury if they could be healed in another moment. The prince turned to call out to Grant who was trying to avoid any hit as he juggled his daggers. His eyes only darted to him for a split second before he had to focus on his angered siblings while Alucard was occupied with the other brother again.  
"We'll have to attack-". Another strike from the axe, passing by his cheek and cutting right through the fabric of his cape as it split the ground with a crash. Alucard cursed under his breath and fired yet another fireball at the foe who attempted to pull the axe out. With his sword, he gestured towards the mother. "We have to attack her! Otherwise, they will have us cornered at some point!"  
"Look at that little strategist there! You will have to get to me first before you can even lay a finger on me!", the mother mocked immediately at his words.  
Not that the brother had cared much for it once he held his axe between his hands again. The dhampire turned his attention back to him, but did glance at Grant. He didn't believe that he could have paled more than that, but somehow, his face was completely deprived of color at this point.  
Grant could barely look as he lashed the daggers at the knees of his siblings, making them immobile. Without even thinking about the words that Alucard had uttered, he turned on his heels and dashed towards his mother. His feet slowed down as he got closer and the smirk on her lips widened.  
"My child, do you really wish to do this?", she hummed and opened her arms once more. In one hand, one could see how she summoned a green flame. Guilt tripping him was one thing, but she wouldn't allow herself to be defenseless if he did change his mind. "Why don't you lower your weapon and return to us? Everything can return to the way it was before, Ionel. You don't have to throw your future away. In the end, isn't this all a bad dream of yours? All you need to do is to wake up."  
A moment of silence was between them. In the meanwhile, Alucard needed to keep the siblings away. At least, the two of them were still struggling with their kneecaps being pierced. Then again, the older brother with his axe was quite strong on his own, no need to add anything more to it.  
"Wake up?!", Grant snarled back as his whole body tensed up. With his long dagger, he aimed at the other and pressed his lips together. "Believe me, I have seen things on this journey that could never be matched with the nightmares that I have had for years ever since I left home. Now, I need to face the truth and that is that neither of you is of my family." The smile on her face widened, then deformed with the rotten remains of her face. It looked like the skin would rip in any second from the tension. She didn't move in place when he took another few steps towards her. "And know this, demon, I will end you and avenge my family that had to suffer by your hand!"  
This was enough talk for his mother.  
Her expression changed as fast as it came. It made way for pure anger and in the next second, she pointed her palms towards him. The green flames formed a spear in a matter of moments and was fired towards him. Even if surprised, Grant managed to duck and roll under the attack. The flaming spear pierced a pillar. As soon as it came in contact with the marble, the spear exploded and sent pieces of the pillar flying, engulfed in fire.  
While the woman was busy with attacking Grant, Alucard figured that his attacks should become more lethal. After all, she was distracted and wouldn't be able to heal her undead children right away. Another stab to the foe's arm, then a fire ball to his head. The enemy groaned in frustration and lashed out at him, forcing to put distance between them.  
Now more than ever, Alucard was willing to end the battle once and for all. He dashed towards the other and pulled a dagger from his belt. This he pierced right into the chest, pulling the blade out in the next moment only to let the metal slash the throat. The dark blood gushed out and stained the clothes in gushing spurts. The skin on the throat ripped and his head snapped back as if Alucard had cut the strings that held the head on its' body. Thus, the older brother staggered back, pulled by the weight of his head. Finally, he fell on his back as the blood sprayed into the air like a broken fountain. Disgusted by the sight and smell of the foul blood, Alucard turned to see how Grant was faring in his battle.

Certainly, his mother didn't make it easy for him. Her fire magic was dangerous. Any sort of contact would cause it to explode and the flames that were created by it didn't go out. What they feasted on, they couldn't tell, but it was enough to create smoke which hung in the air. She had already created holes in the ground, pieces of stone were in flames and only served as distractions and obstacles for Grant. The prince joined his side and looked him over while they were avoiding yet another spear.  
"How are you holding up?", Alucard asked breathlessly. Another dodge, aiming to separate the two as it was shot between them. The friends did exactly that, jumped from the destructive force in opposite directions. For a second, the dhampire couldn't spot the other anymore from the smoke which rose from the ground.  
"Take a wild guess!" That was all he could hear from his side. The smoke wobbled, caused by the pirate dashing back towards his main target. Alucard didn't hesitate to follow his example, but they could only get so far. His mother caused yet another explosion to throw them back with the shock wave alone.  
Yet, when she fired another spear, it wasn't aimed at either of them at all. The weapon blew another pillar to pieces and the next spear went upwards to the ceiling.

Alucard watched in dismay as broken bricks crashed on the ground. One bigger chunk smashed the remains of his previous foe. All that was left in that spot was a splash of blood and chunks stuck in the cracks of the ground.  
She didn't care for any kind of target, it was chaos that she wished to create. Enough to sacrifice her own children for it, so it seemed. Before he could utter any word to describe what was happening, she let out a maniacal laugh, loud enough to echo in the hall and pierce their ears.  
"If you won't join us and our cause, then I will take you down to Hell with us instead!"  
There were still a few pillars left in this hall. But they wouldn't want to think about how many more needed to be destroyed until this room would collapse.  
Grant pulled his bandana down and bound it once more so that the cloth would cover his nose and mouth from the smoke. After all, it was starting to engulf them and getting in the way of their sight. His dark brown hair stood off as a mess and dangled in front of his face. Through the smoke, one could merely make out the outline of their last enemy.  
It had something intimidating to it. How the smoke changed from grey to green from the flames and her laughter wouldn't stop anymore.

There wasn't much time left.  
The companions had to end the battle or else. Without knowing where the other was located anymore, they dashed towards the figure somehow, lead by the green light. Alucard would use this situation to his advantage and turned into a bat. His senses as a bat didn't rely on sight anymore and he was a smaller target, too. But in this form, he couldn't attack with his sword or with the fire balls. Instead, he chose to scan the area.

There the pirate was.  
Rolling and jumping and running, making his way towards his mother. Another pillar was taken down. Though for that, he didn't need to be a bat, it could be heard and seen quite easily even from the ground.  
It seemed that the lack of sight was soothing somehow to Grant. He couldn't see his mother anymore - or what was left of her form - and this didn't collide with his memories any longer. At least, for now, she was only another enemy summoned by Lord Dracula to defy them.  
In the end, that was probably what she was, a spirit that possessed a body to make it look like his mother. Then again, Grant preferred not to think about this any second longer. Either they were to defeat her or this would become their grave. Thus, the pirate dashed towards her and once he was close enough, he collided with the smaller figure. The impact was big enough to throw her over. Now that Grant was close enough to her, he could make her out clearly again.

For a second, he hesitated.  
Right then, it was the human form that he was seeing before him. His entire frame was paralyzed and he could feel how his dagger almost slipped from his hand.  
"Ionel... Ionel, what are you doing?!" She did not turn in place, but did start to sob hard. Her body shook from the painful sensation. Grant could only watch in dismay, unable to move from his spot as she crawled forward. "Do you really wish for my death this desperately? Has the first time not been enough? Didn't I ever..."  
Her voice failed her and she gave up trying to get back on her feet. Instead, she slithered on the ground to turn around to him and reached out to grasp his ankle. Her head snapped back up and Grant stared into an expression that held only pure anger. "Why won't you listen to me, child?!" And in the next second, the pirate could feel heat right streaming from her palm against his skin.  
It was out of reflex to defend himself, to allow for his dagger to slash down on her wrist to free himself from her grip. His fingers grabbed for another blade and, as fright took over him in an instant, flung it down towards her face. This hit was enough to have the skin ripping apart. Her features, which had been vaguely on her face, now burst before him and the gush of blood stained his feet. The shock had him stumble back and his stomach twisted once more. He could only stare at the remains of hers, he could even still hear her stertorous breathing. Somehow, this figure was still alive, as much as you could call something like this "alive" anyway.  
"I'm sorry...", he began to stutter and struggled for breath. Every noise around him didn't matter anymore, he was forgetting where he was. Another few steps backwards, not knowing or caring if he was going to be close to any fire. "I'm sorry..." His apology loosed strength, Grant could be barely heard any longer.  
Then, all of a sudden, the pirate was grabbed by the arm.  
"Grant! We have to get out of here, quick!"  
He was completely out of place right then, staring up at Alucard as if he was the last person that he expected to see. Yet, the pirate didn't fight him when he pulled him along.

Luckily, Alucard didn't need to see a whole lot to be able to navigate through the hall. Remembering their surroundings, he was able to find their way back to the door. He cursed under his breath as the gates were closed. For once, the prince wasn't patient with their surroundings. While Grant might have been able to pry open the door, he couldn't do anything besides trying to gather what was happening. Thus, all that Alucard could do was to aim at the lock and shoot fire balls at it to break the handles altogether. They swung open without much resistance at that point and the light blinded the duo. Alucard grabbed the other by the arm to stumble outside with him without much direction.

Then, it was all silent.  
The gates fell shut behind them. As their eyes finally got used to the sunlight of the dawn, the two of them found themselves at the other side of the hill. A pair of stairs led upwards to the flat lands, they couldn't quite see what was ahead.  
Not that Grant cared for it much at the moment. He sat down on a large piece of broken stone and pulled down the bandana only to cover his face with his hands.  
Alucard took a deep breath and took in the silence. Then his eyes darted to his companion who was frozen in his position.  
"Tell me, Alucard", he finally began with his voice shaking in despair. The dhampire was impressed that he could still form a sentence when he himself was feeling breathless. "Tell me... Were those really just demons? That took the form of my family? Tell me that it wasn't them... That I didn't..." Grant bent over further and began sobbing into his palms, his entire frame shook in place.  
All that Alucard could do was to kneel beside him and take him by his shoulder.  
In all honesty, he didn't know the truth. Whether demons had possessed the corpses of what once were his blood-relatives or if it was an illusion created by another wicked minion.  
"No. I don't think that it was them."  
Alucard couldn't lie to him, but he couldn't imagine that one's family could think of someone else like this. To call them traitor, a coward and the reason why they perished. The shock in Grant was too strong to stem from the guilt of having actually committed murder. It was rooted from deep inside, something that has haunted him for years. Alucard wasn't one to do any kind of pep talk or even motivate anybody, yet, to see the other this broken was tearing on him.  
"I am sure that your family loved and missed you."  
"They... They were right... I was afraid and I... And I ran and left them behind... It was all my fault that they died."  
Grant shook his head and sniffled, unable to take any hold on himself. In any other situation, the dhampire would snarled at him, to get a grip on himself already. But Alucard wouldn't even wish to imagine what was going on in his mind right then.  
"I left them behind... And now I... I had to fight and slay their remains with my own hands..."  
The prince could only squeeze his shoulder to let him know that he wasn't alone right then in his sorrow. His gaze lowered and all he could do was to gather his own thoughts as he listened to the other crying his eyes out.  
"Ionel... That is what they called you. Is that your real name then?"  
Perhaps some form of practicality would help him find his way back to reality. To ask about his past would be too indelicate and not recommended when the pirate was falling apart.  
Grant did take it as such, at least. He lowered his hands and let them rest on his legs, though he couldn't raise his head to meet his gaze. "That is my name, yes..." Tears fell from his eyes and his lower lip quivered. As sorrowful as he was, he was determined to follow his question. "Ionel Darian Dăneşti... It's b-been a long time since I have heard that name directed towards me, I have to admit..."  
Grant pulled out the silver necklace with the Ocean's Drop and looked at the gem that now rested in his palm. Alucard frowned at the mention of his last name.  
A Dăneşti, a member of the royal family. Not that the pirate looked like royalty exactly. Though it would begin to make more sense after having passed the catacombs.  
"Then... This necklace belongs to you?", he asked, not wishing to overstep any boundaries. The prince watched him, wanting to prepare for any kind of reaction, but Grant gave none at all. His grey eyes, which still swam in tears, couldn't look away from the Ocean's Drop.  
"Not exactly... I suppose that I would have the right to own it, but..." His fingers clutched around the gem and he closed his eyes hard in a poor attempt to stop himself from crying. And that was all he had to say about it.  
Alucard didn't poke the issue further. But Grant seemed to search for something else that he could focus on that wasn't his past or bloodline.  
"Alucard... That isn't your real name, is it." It wasn't a question, it was an observation. "Your father... Back then, he called you Adrian. At least, that's what I believe that he has called you... I can't remember much...".  
"Indeed, my name is Adrian." It was only fair to share this much after Grant revealed his origins to him. "Alucard is... Dracula spelt backwards."  
At this point, one would have imagined for Grant to laugh at him. How unimaginative this was and asking if he made that name up in his teen years, but he received none of it.  
Somehow, that saddened him even further. To see someone depressed when he was usually so upbeat and bright was cruel to watch.

Another moment of silence between them.  
Grant didn't move from his spot, but he ceased his crying, at least. Perhaps, he didn't have any more strength in him left to do so.  
"Go on without me. The other two must be waiting for you."  
"What?!" His words shook Alucard from his own gloom. He got back up on his legs, but the pirate wouldn't follow him with his eyes. "What are you talking about?! They are also waiting for you! I didn't get here to leave you here in the end!"  
Grant returned to his former position and covered his face in shame once more. "What good am I anyway? I am a mere human... At least, that's what I used to be before I became a demon. Compared to you or the others, I am more of a weight than anything else..."  
He shook his head in despair. It was true that the rest of the group held their own share of powers, but their skills were different. That much, he wasn't able to see in himself and it was a pity. "Perhaps it would have been better if I had just perished in the Clock Tower like everyone would have expected me to..."  
That was enough, the prince thought to himself and he squared his shoulders.  
"We might not know why you had survived your battle with Trevor, but I do not care for the reason either. You have helped them more than you can imagine. Perhaps, they wouldn't have even made it as far as they did now without you. As Father Cypher had put it, our meeting must have a meaning. I am taking it as such at least."  
Once more, Grant let his hands sink, but this time, he rose his gaze, too.  
For a second, Alucard was speechless, the initial sadness was still found in his features. Yet, some form of defiance was there as well as if he wished to believe his words somehow. The dhampire shook himself to continue. This was no time to dwell on whatever was going on within him.  
"We will leave this place and we'll do so together. I'm not going anywhere without you." Then Alucard got back on his feet and finally, he noticed how the other followed him in disbelief. "If you can't do that much for yourself, then do so for us and your family. None of us is willing to leave you behind."  
Not like this anyway. They had escaped the catacombs to get further in their mission, not to return beneath the earth like that.  
He could see how Grant took a deep breath and pressed his lips together. Then he glanced back at the necklace, hung it around his neck and got on his feet even if wobbly.  
"Let's... Let's get going then...", the pirate sniffed, rubbing some of his tears away for a moment before passing him with quick steps. He could be barely heard and he couldn't look at Alucard as if still ashamed to have tears drop from his eyes.  
Was that an hint of pride that the prince could feel within him at the sight?  
He couldn't tell himself, perhaps it was a form of relief.  
Still, Alucard followed right up ahead without looking back to the catacombs.  
Though Grant did when they walked upwards. A heavy breath escaped him and it took him a bit of energy to tear his eyes away again. It were the thoughts of guilt tormenting him still, yet, none of it was stopping his motion.

When they had climbed the stairs, the next path was clear before them. It lead to the town which the group had planned to reach.  
In the morning, the duo couldn't spot any sort of life buzzing there. But maybe they had been too far to make anything out. There was smoke rising in the sky, at least, signalizing some activity. Everything around was bleak, not even the sun could bring color into their surrounding. Not that it wasn't a sight that they weren't used to at this point. Quite a march anyway, though the hope to run into their friends was motivating.

The two of them had shared companionable silence for a while. Alucard wasn't comfortable with approaching him and the pirate was in thoughts.  
It wasn't unpleasant, there was something soothing to it after having faced such horrors together. The dhampire felt more responsible than ever in many respects. If it wasn't for him and his cursed blood, none of the tragedies would have occurred. Without his ties to his father, Grant wouldn't have even been turned into a demon. All he could do now was to look out, aware that the others' senses might not be as sharp as they usually were.  
"Hey."  
Alucard was shaken awake by Grant's voice reaching him. When he peeked to the side, he could see his slumped over form, his hands in his pockets. Grant peeked back just the same and gave a sheepish shrug.  
"Thank you for... You know... For everything."  
At first, the prince didn't know how to reply. For everything?, he pondered with a bit of surprise. To deny the gratitude would be rude, that much he figured. So all he could really reply was a muttered "you're welcome..." and following after a few seconds with a shrug from his side "I-I'm glad that I could help..."  
Finally, a gentle smile curled on Grant's lips.  
It must have been an eternity since he had seen one on his face, to see hope return to him.  
And Alucard had never been happier to witness as much in the other.

* * *

Since, in the Japanese version, Grant is basically named like the other royal branch family, I took that over. Interestingly enough, that makes Alucard and Grant relatives. I believe, that would be second degree cousins? Still, kind of funny to me

Plus, I imagine that his necklace was handed down through the centuries... Only to become part of Maxim's bracelet. I headcanon them to be related :U


End file.
